Healing the Betrayed Guardian
by RedAuraGuard
Summary: Ash is betrayed by those who he held closest to his heart. A few stand by him, staying with him to the end. Now, Ash is on his way to the Pokemon World Tournament to prove to those who betrayed him that he is indeed a Pokemon Master. Rayshipping (Ash x Cynthia), along with some OC's in the story. Rated T for some possible swearing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: On the Way to Unova**_

_**A/N: There will be some OC's in this fanfic, but not in this one. This chapter is something of a prologue, explaining future behavior of characters. Enjoy reading!**_

Tory Lund was the first to awaken from his sleep on the ship. As he rubbed his eyes and yawned, he looked at the time. _Five-thirty, huh? Well, at least I can take a look at the sunrise, _the silver-haired Trainer thought to himself. As he stepped off of his bunk, wincing at the creak, he got dressed and looked at Max Maple, his brother in all but name. The brown-haired Trainer was still snoring gently, not stirring from the noise. Tory sighed in relief. He hated accidentally waking up his friend, though Max never seemed annoyed when Tory did it, nor when Ash or Cynthia did. When most other people did it though… Tory chuckled to himself, imagining the grumbles and yells to keep quiet, before putting on his shoes and stepping outside.

The glow of the red-orange sun surrounded the ship, bathing the surface in a warm yet gentle heat. Tory was dressed in his white short-sleeved hoodie, with a blue T-shirt that said "Talking to me?" and gray shorts. He grinned, leaning on the guardrail looking out towards the sun. He could see Unova from here, where their tournament would be taking place. This was always his favorite time of the day, along with Max's, though he preferred to sleep as much as he could. Looking at the sunrise brought back memories of his journeys with Max, Ash, and Cynthia. In LaRousse City, where they stopped the Deoxys, Rayquaza, and the robots from destroying the city. At Spear Pillar, where all four of them had been granted their Legendaries. Sleeping at the ice-cream stand with Ash and Max, waiting for Cynthia to place her order. Tory laughed at the last one, resolving to bring several pillows with him wherever he went. Then memory served him and the Trainer remembered that Max had pretty much everything in his bag. '_A freaking pair of wooden Japanese swords, along with training gear and more various crap. Who can carry that stuff all the time, anyway? I get that we've been training a long time under the two best Trainers in the world, but still- _Tory's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the familiar creak of a door, and footsteps behind him. He looked to his side, expecting to see Ash or Cynthia also leaning on the rail. Surprisingly, it was Max. He was dressed in an emerald green T-shirt and dark blue shorts. They always dressed alike, though they didn't know why.

"Hey, Max. Sleep well?" Tory inquired. Normally, Max almost never woke up before eight, and even then only after drinking several cups of hot chocolate before sleeping.

"Yeah, just a bit nervous," Max replied. His milky-brown eyes looked out towards the sea and the sun, where Tory was looking moments before. His brown hair was disheveled, obviously from waking up just then.

"I get you. We're gonna be participating at the biggest tournament in this decade… We'll do fine, don't worry. Remember, we are Ash's and Cynthia's apprentices, and losing to them is fine," Tory reassured his friend.

"Thanks, and I know. But that's not my big concern," the brown-haired Trainer said.

Tory frowned. "Oh, I see… Yeah, all of the other traitors are probably gonna be participating too, huh…" His eyes darkened at the thought of what had taken place at Pallet Town five years ago…

_**(Start Flashback)**_

_** Ash had ran home to Pallet Town, excited to see his mother, Professor Oak, and his Pokemon after the Unova League. Though his loss to Trip had stung, made worse by the fact that he had lost another league, he was determined to do better next time. As he approached his hometown, he saw a crowd waiting. Among them were all of his friends, excluding Iris and Cilan. They had stayed behind in Unova to continue their training.**_

_** "Hey guys, what's up?" Ash said cheerfully. Then he noticed the glares on almost everyone's faces.**_

_** "How could you do this, Ash?!" May yelled.**_

_** "Whoa, calm down. What did I do?" Ash asked, bewildered.**_

_** "What did you do? Only burned down most of the town, including your own mother's house! You killed her, Ash!" Gary had shouted at his rival.**_

_** Ash couldn't believe their words. Did they all really believe that Ash could do such a thing? Looking closer, he saw that his beloved Pallet Town was mostly a charred mess, with only a few standing houses left. Ambulances were everywhere, and medical forces scurried around, looking for survivors or corpses among the collapsed houses.**_

_** "Who would do this?" he moaned, sinking to his knees in shock, forgetting his anger in sadness.**_

_** "Isn't it obvious? You did! I thought you were better than this, Ketchum!" Misty screamed at him. The crowd rumbled in agreement. Suddenly, a pair of voices interrupted the angry crowd.**_

_** "What the hell?!"**_

_** Everyone looked towards the commotion, seeing Max and even Tory from LaRousse City, glaring defiantly at the mob. Both of them had grown since their last encounters with Ash, though they still were the shortest of the crowd. Their courage, however, was not lacking. Ash noticed the Pokeballs on their waists. 'So they're already Trainers, huh…' he thought to himself.**_

_** "Why would Ash burn down his own hometown, including his own home?!" Max roared out.**_

_** "Use your brains! Ash just got back from Unova; there are so many people there who can confirm that, including the Unova Champion! How could he do this from a different continent?!" Tory snapped. Neither of them could believe that Ash's former friends could accuse him of such a crime.**_

_** "There was a Charizard flying around, and a Trainer on its back. We all heard Ash command a Flamethrower from its back," a voice yelled out. Ash's fists clenched at the sound of it. It was Trip.**_

_** "Trip! What are you doing here?!" **_

_** Trip smirked. "I came to celebrate my victory, and tell you something. You'll never be a Pokemon Master, nor will you ever even be a successful Trainer!"**_

_** "What?! How could you say that?! I thought you were better than this, even though you were always a jerk!" Ash snarled.**_

_** "Face it, Ketchum. You've participated in five leagues now, and haven't won a single one. You never got to battle any Champions, and your victories over places like the Battle Frontier were by sheer luck!" Trip taunted. The crowd muttered in agreement. Ash paled slightly, seeing some truth in his rival's biting words. He had never won a league in his life, not one…**_

_** "Yeah! Trip's a way better Trainer than you'll ever be!" Misty shouted scathingly, leaning onto Trip's arm.**_

_** "On top of that, you went and took out your frustration on the town, including us! We heard you on that Charizard!" Brock accused. Of all the people to betray him, Brock seemed to be one of the least likely to do so. Brock was like a big brother to Ash, traveling with him on so many journeys. **_

_** "Enough of this. Anyone who feels this murderer is guilty, stay with us. Anyone who feels he's innocent, go over to him and face our wrath," Gary declared. Most of the crowd stayed where they were. Max and Tory dashed to Ash's side, giving hateful looks to the mob. Then Max saw his father and sister.**_

_** "Dad! May! Come on, let's get outta here!" he yelled.**_

_** Norman looked horrified at Max's decision. "Son, please, be serious. You don't really think he's innocent, do you?" he asked.**_

_** "I KNOW he's innocent! Ash would never do something like this!" Max yelled at his father, hardly believing that his own family would betray Ash like this. "May, what about you? Don't tell me you're siding with that crowd…"**_

_** "Come on, May! He's guilty, and we all know it!" Drew yelled. Everyone clamored, agreeing with the Coordinator's statement.**_

_** May was more troubled than she had ever been in her life. She took a shaky breath, then said, "I'm sorry, Max, Tory, Ash. But the evidence is against you." She looked around fearfully at the mob, and barely suppressed a sigh of relief. They wouldn't attack her.**_

_** "Enough of this. Serperior, Leaf Blade!" Trip yelled, sending out his starter. The Grass-type landed on the road, then lunged at the lone trio, tail glowing with green energy.**_

_** Ash ran forward to let the attack land on him first and give Max and Tory time to flee. He turned, looking into their horrified faces, about to yell at them to run.**_

_** "Stone Edge!"**_

_** Everyone turned again, to a purple-haired Trainer standing hidden next to a Torterra in the forest. The Grass-and-ground-type Pokemon summoned a large amount of stones around it, before launching them at the surprised Serperior. The Unovan starter was launched back and laid on the ground, stunned by the attack.**_

_** "Paul! What are you doing here?" Ash asked weakly, still in wonder that his former enemy had rescued him from a painful end.**_

_** "I came here to try and help you get stronger, but there's no time for that!" Paul shouted urgently, staring at the crowd with cold eyes. "Head to Sinnoh, to Celestic Town! Cynthia is resting there now!"**_

_** "Traitor," Gary seethed in rage.**_

_** "Oh, am I the traitor? Look at your actions. Ash, take those two and RUN! NOW! I'll be all right!" Paul yelled, sending out his Ursaring, Magmortar, Electivire, Drapion, and Honchkrow to support his starter.**_

_** Ash stood there for a moment in disbelief, thankful that someone else had his back. The two younger boys tugged on his arms, reminding him of what was happening. The older Trainer nodded, before grabbing Max's and Tory's arms and running towards Viridian Forest. Despite their speed, the crowd still threw rocks at them. Many missed, but some landed, leaving bruises. One stone even collided with Max's face as he turned to look sadly at his family. Even so, the group still made it into the forest, safe from their pursuers.**_

_** When the three were out of sight, Gary turned towards Paul, who was standing in the middle of his team. "You seem awfully confident in your abilities to defeat us all," he growled, sending out his own Pokemon. All of the other Trainers in the crowd did the same.**_

_** Paul smirked. "Numbers aren't going to mean anything without skill. Face it, you're outmatched," he retorted. The other Trainers leered at the Sinnoh Trainer.**_

_** "ATTACK!" every Trainer yelled.**_

_** (In Viridian Forest)**_

_** Ash, Max, and Tory ran for their lives through the forest. Ash seemed to know where he was going for once, so neither of the boys questioned his intent. Suddenly, a large Pidgeot flew out of a tree, landing in front of Ash.**_

_** "Pidgeot! Great to see you! We gotta get to Celestic Town in Sinnoh, ASAP! Can you get us there?" Ash pleaded. The Flying-type nodded, before crouching to allow the Trainers to step aboard. All three of them did so, and Pidgeot took off.**_

_** Ash glared up towards to the sky, wondering why his friends would do this. He would risk his life to save theirs; he had done so on multiple occasions. What had he done to deserve this injustice? Then he realized that he had left without some essential items.**_

_** "Oh no… My Pokemon… They're all still at Pallet!" he groaned, paling at the thought of their fates.**_

_** "Don't worry about that, Ash. I've got them in my bag. I heard about this plan beforehand, and Tory and I snuck into the lab to get your Pokemon," Max reassured the older Trainer, opening his bag to reveal the stashed Pokeballs.**_

_** The betrayed Trainer smiled for the first time since the incident. "Thanks," he whispered, before turning towards where Pidgeot was looking.**_

_** "No prob," both boys said simultaneously. The rest of the travels, taking place over several days, were spent in almost absolute silence. Max and Tory knew better than to try and talk Ash out of his misery. They hid in the forests, savenging for berries and fruits, while Pidgeot rested for the next flight. Finally, they arrived at Celestic Town, in front of Cynthia's grandmother's house. Ash wearily knocked on the door while Max, Tory, and Pidgeot collapsed, exhausted from the constant flights and lack of proper rest. The Sinnoh Champion hastily opened the door, and stared in shock and horror. She saw a tired Pidgeot, two exhausted and injured boys, and an emotionally scarred Ash at her doorstep.**_

_** "Paul… sent us… here. Please… help…" Ash wheezed in fatigue. Cynthia nodded, before helping Ash carry the two boys inside the house. Afterwards, Ash took out a Pokeball and re-caught Pidgeot, thanking it for its help, before re-entering the cozy house. It would be a long time before Ash smiled again, and it would be even longer before he forgave the traitors, if he ever did…**_

_**(End Flashback)**_

Tory sighed in worry for his friends. Max had been depressed for days, wondering what would become of them. Ash was darker than a Dusk Stone, only smiling at Max, Cynthia and Tory himself. Thankfully, Cynthia's introduction to the group had led to a much-needed recovery process. Even so, while Max seemed to be more or less fully healed, Ash was, to this day, still darker than before the betrayal.

Max looked sad at the thought of the potential conflicts. "Mmhm, that's the big thing I'm worried about. We're probably gonna have to face my dad and my sister again, along with the other traitors. It feels terrible, knowing that the people who turned on us will probably be in our lives yet again."

The silver-haired Trainer nodded. "I feel you, Max. I'm just as worried as you. Still, let's not think about that now. It's sunrise, and I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

"Sounds good. Besides, as for the tournament, I'm sure I'll crush you," Max commented with a grin.

Tory grinned as well. "Sure, like that'll ever happen. Look at our records, buddy," he bantered. That was one of their best qualities. Whenever conflicts weren't occurring, the two could never stay depressed for long when together.

Max pouted slightly. "Hey, shut up. That was only because I was still sleepy in our last battle," he protested while chuckling.

The two boys laughed at that, and stood there, staring at the sunrise, arm-in-arm, like the brothers they almost were. Then something surfaced in Max's memory.

"You know, the media once accused Cynthia and Ash of having an affair, to explain our existence," Max told his friend. He had read it in a newspaper while Tory was getting breakfast for the two of them at a hotel, and it still made him chuckle at night.

The two boys looked at each other, then fell down laughing as quietly as they could before getting up and going to the cafeteria to eat.

_**(A/N) **__**Wow, here it is. My very first chapter of my very first fanfiction! (Talk about repetition XD). Anyway, since this is my first fanfic, I'd love reviews and the likes. Read, Review, (please don't flame), and I'll see you next time!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Arrival of the Tournament and the Past**_

_**A/N: Here is the awaited chapter 2! Enjoy!**_

"Hey, Cynthia. Sleep well?"

The Sinnoh Champion finally arose as she heard her graduated protégé's voice. She had been awake for several minutes, but refused to acknowledge the fact that she wouldn't be falling asleep again. Cynthia had smiled when she saw Ash's face in front of hers.

"Yeah, you?" she asked sleepily.

"Hmm… to be honest, not really. I'm anxious about who we're gonna run into in the tournament," he responded.

"What do you mean? We'll do fine. Really, I'm only anxious about battling Max or Tory… oh, that's what you mean… I see," Cynthia said sadly.

Ash nodded. "Yep, those traitors. What are we gonna do about them?" he asked.

Cynthia was silent for a moment, not entirely sure about how to reassure him. "Well, we're not really gonna know what to do until it happens, but until then, let's try to enjoy ourselves," she said, smiling gently.

Ash smiled as well. "Thanks, Cynthia," he said gratefully, kissing her forehead. "Besides, even if we do battle our apprentices, we just gotta do our best. If they win, fine. They would deserve it."

"True, true. Still, we can't make it easy for them. Right?" she said jovially. Before Ash could respond, the captain's voice reverberated through the ship.

"Attention, passengers. This is your captain speaking. We are about to make port at Undella Town, where the World Tournament is taking place. Please gather your belongings and companions, then make your way to the deck."

"Well, we better get changed, I guess," Ash said casually.

Cynthia smirked. "Don't get any ideas, mister," she teased as she walked into the bathroom with her clothes, laughing as he turned red. He was so easy to tease, and it always lightened the mood.

When the ship finally set anchor in Unova, Tory and Max quickly ran onto shore, looking at the area with wonder. They were in Undella Town, where the Pokemon World Tournament was taking place in just a week. Ash and Cynthia soon followed, though at a much more sedate pace and hand-in-hand.

"Calm down, you two. The tournament's not for a week," Cynthia chuckled, happy at the sight of the carefree teenagers looking around excitedly. The Sinnoh Champion was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black tank top, this being one of the few occasions where Cynthia did not dress in her usual outfit. She had been particularly worried about Max, who had an almost constant look of depression and anxiety since they first met. Ash had all of his accomplishments and his fame, along with many various Gym leaders more than willing to help him. Max, on the other hand, really only had Cynthia and his own Pokemon before meeting Tory and Ash.

"I know, but the villas are amazing! People don't stay in these year-round?" Max said excitedly.

"Nope, though why is beyond me," Ash commented, sharing Max's sentiments. Ash was dressed in a black T-shirt, with a red-and-white hoodie and black jeans. His trademark cap had a lightning bolt on it. He, too, was glad that his young protégés looked more energetic than ever before. Pikachu let out a "Chaa" of content on Ash's shoulder, happy to be finally off of the ship.

Tory shrugged. "Well, since we're here, we may as well get our villa already," he said, though with an excited grin on his face. "Come on! Race you, Max!" the young Trainer called as he dashed off towards the rental area.

"Oh, not this time, Tory! Get back here!" Max yelled towards his friend, taking off in hot pursuit.

Ash and Cynthia looked at each other, then shared a laugh. Max and Tory usually acted with a maturity far beyond their years, especially when battling. It was good for them to act a little below their ages once in a while. '_Besides, a little extra exercise never hurt anyone,' _they thought to themselves. The two adults shared a kiss before following their protégés. Little did they remember that this tournament could be the site where the past would either be resolved or consume them.

Not half a mile away, another ship docked at Undella at nearly the same time as the other ship. On this one, Misty, Brock, and Ash's other various "friends" stepped off of the ramp.

"Sweet! We're finally here! Look out world, Gary Oak is here to sweep the competition!" Gary yelled towards the crowd. Some of his fans (mostly girls) crowded around him at the sound of his voice, and others just stared, wondering at his arrogance. True, he was the grandson of Professor Oak, and the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto to boot. Still, that didn't mean he was invincible.

"Hmmph, I doubt it, Oak. I'll be taking home the victory," Trip responded succinctly. He never mentioned it, but he wondered whether the "Pallet Town Exiles" would show up at the tournament. IF they did, what would happen?

"I agree, Trip. You're probably the best out of all of us," Misty chimed in. She wasn't here to participate in the tournament. Lately, her battling skills had fallen greatly, likely from going on too many dates with her boyfriend, Trip. Many more people had beaten her Gym and taken the badge, at a faster rate than most other Gyms. Even so, she still chose to participate. _'I mean, I AM still a Gym Leader. Not as strong as everyone else, but I think I'd get somewhere in this tournament,' _she thought smugly.

"I'm just wondering what kind of beautiful girls will be here!" Brock exclaimed. Misty sighed and prepared to drag him off by the ear. _'He really hasn't changed after all these years huh…' _Misty thought to herself. After thinking to herself, she decided she didn't really care. Brock would be Brock, just like everyone else would remain themselves. More importantly, would the traitors be there? _'I doubt even Ash would try to luck his way through such a large tournament, let alone those two kids,' _she thought to herself.

May looked out towards the large town with a sad look in her eyes. _'I hope they're here,' _she thought to herself. When faced with siding with Ash or the town, peer pressure had gotten the better of her and her father, who was coming to the tournament separately. It still made her cry at night, knowing that her little brother had fled with Ash, never to return again. She had never forgiven herself for siding against her best friend and her little brothers, nor had she ever forgiven the others for truly turning on them. May had always considered Tory to be a younger brother, just like Max was to her. Still, if they had to flee town, at least it was with a respectable Trainer like Ash. On top of that, they weren't exposed to the likes of Brock's perversion, or Gary's and Trip's arrogance. _'Oh, Max. Please be here. You too, Tory, Ash…' _was the largest thought floating in her mind, as tears formed in her eyes.

"Hey guys, come over here!" Brock exclaimed, holding a laptop. Everyone rushed over to what he was looking at.

"It's the statistics for 'Most Likely to Win', and some of you guys are pretty high up," he informed. Gary and Trip smirked as they saw the list.

**Tying for First: Trip (Champion of Unova) and Gary Oak (Eight Kanto Gym Leader).**

"Sweet, I'm on top!" Gary crowed, happy with the sight of his (and Trip's) names being on top of the rankings.

"Hold it, look. It's updating. And we're moving down!" Trip yelled in surprise. The statistics were now different, with neither Gary nor Trip on top anymore.

**Tying for First: Ash Ketchum (Kanto Champion and Sinnoh/Kanto Battle Frontier Champion) and Cynthia (Sinnoh Champion).**

** Tying for Second: Max Maple (Hoenn Champion and Kanto Battle Frontier Champion) and Tory Lund (Johto Champion and LaRousse Battle Tower Tycoon).**

"Whoa, what happened?! These guys are on top now?" Trip muttered angrily.

"I get why Cynthia's there, but the other three? Did they hack the thing or something?" Gary exclaimed, unable to believe that the exiles had advanced so far in their power.

May was silent, but she was thinking hard. _'Max… Tory… You two must have gotten so strong to achieve all of these things over the last five years… I knew Ash was strong, but he improved so much too. I hope you guys can forgive me…'_

_**A/N: Wow, thanks for the reviews everyone! I got a lot of positive feedback from this fanfic! That makes this author happy. :D Read, review, (please don't flame), constructive criticism is appreciated, and stay tuned for more!**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Confrontation**_

_**A/N: Wow, two chapters in one day? Well, I had already gotten this written, so whatever. Anyway, enjoy!**_

"Okay sir, your villa is Number 501," the lady told Ash, handing him the key to the villa.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Ash said in return, maintaining a professional face. On the inside, however, he was wondering just what the villas had inside of them. They had to be fancy, but how fancy? Would theirs have a Jacuzzi?

"Umm, sir?" the lady at the counter repeated, startling Ash out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, yes?" he said hastily.

"You should know that the villa can hold a maximum of eight people. Because there are only four people in your group, including yourself, you may be called upon to provide shelter for some of the other competitors. Are you all right with that?" she warned him.

Ash nodded. "Yes, that is all right. Thank you very much," he told her. _'As long as those four aren't any of the traitors, I'll be fine with it,' _Ash thought to himself.

"Okay, have a nice day," she said with a warm smile as Ash left.

"Hey Ash, which villa are we staying in. And when do we sign up for the tournament?" Tory casually asked Ash as the four of them strolled along the streets of Undella Town.

"Villa 501. It's got room for eight, so we may need to share. Just thought I should warn you," he replied. "If you happen to find anyone in need of somewhere to stay during the competition, feel free to invite them. Also, we sign up three days before the tournament starts. Because of that, we got 3 days of down time before we have to submit registrations." Pikachu thought about something for a moment, then dismissed it, preferring to take a nap on Ash's shoulder.

"Thanks, Ash. Somehow, I get the feeling that we're gonna need to take you up on your offer on the guests," Max commented. As they spoke, they approached the villas.

"Oh, there's Villa 501," Cynthia pointed out. "Let's check it out."

"Sounds good," the other three males said simultaneously. All four of them walked over to their villa talking with each other, just like a normal family. Suddenly, Ash froze as he heard voices which he had hoped to never hear again.

"Hey, who the heck rented the villa? We need to dump some people here, since ours doesn't have the room. Who goes?" Gary asked his group. Pikachu woke up and bristled at the sound of one traitor's voice.

"I'm certainly not going to. Who knows what kind of morons are staying here?" Trip replied snobbishly. Unbeknownst to them, Ash glared at them at this comment.

"Yeah, I'm staying with Trip," Misty said.

"Are there any girls staying here? If so, I'll stay!" Brock declared, making everyone roll their eyes. In the distance, Cynthia shuddered, and her two younger companions gave her reassuring pats on her arms, whereas Ash pulled her into a gentle hug.

"I'll volunteer. Anything to get away from you people," May said bitterly. _'I hope the people renting the villa will let me stay for a bit,' _she thought worriedly.

"Who said anything about any of you staying at this villa?"

Everyone jumped and turned at the sound of a voice they had not heard in five years, wondering if their ears were deceiving them. True to their ears, however, Ash was glaring at them all, fire in his eyes. Cynthia was by his side, holding his arm to calm him down and also glaring at the group. Max and Tory did the same as Ash, except with ice in their eyes instead of fire. All of the traitors felt an aura of power emanating from the two younger Champions, making it clear that they were extremely skilled Trainers. This, however, paled in comparison to their teachers. Ash and Cynthia exuded such power, their very presence made passerby turn to look at them in wonder. Trip and Gary returned the glares, whereas most of the others paled and backed away. Misty stood by Trip's side, her show at bravery ruined by her shaking legs. May, on the other hand, looked at them with pride. _'They've grown so much… Max and Tory are taller than me now… No wonder they're favorites to win.' _

"Ash?" she asked, fear and regret in her voice. Though Ash's glare never faltered, Max's and Tory's eyes softened.

"May? Is that you?" both Trainers said, with caution in their voices. She nodded, before she ran over to them and hugged them.

"I'm so sorry for turning against you! I should have gone with you, but- but I was too scared to do so! Everyone was ganging up, and I chickened out on you…" May sobbed in remorse for her actions. Both boys thought for a moment, before returning the hug.

"You know, it's not us who you should be apologizing to," Tory said gently, indicating that May needed to show her remorse to Ash firstly. Max nodded in agreement.

"You're right," she said, letting go. She looked at Ash, eyes glinting with her tears and memories of her error.

Ash considered deeply before making his judgment. Had it been anyone else among the traitors, he would have scorned their apology and heavily mocked them. May, however, was like a little sister to him. He had shown her the various tricks and tactics of Pokemon training, though their specific careers were quite different. He looked one more time at May before giving his verdict.

"May, I'm not gonna lie. I'm still pretty damn angry at you, for turning against me. However, you didn't really think that I was a criminal. That much I believe. I'll see whether to forgive you fully or not. For now though, you can stay for a while," he said heavily. As he spoke the words, he felt a heavy weight lift off of his chest.

"Thank you…" May whispered, before smiling through her tears. She was truly grateful that Ash had decided to take the first step towards forgiveness, along with her brother and his closest friend.

"Hold it. Ignoring the soppy love scene, who's staying here with them?" Misty interrupted.

"Not you, that's for sure. I doubt any of us could put up with you for a day without needing a mental hospital," Max retorted, getting even angrier at this interruption. His friends and sister chuckled at this.

"You little brat! I'll teach you to respect Trainers stronger than you!" Misty snapped, pulling out her infamous mallet.

Max snorted, before pulling a fist back, ready to punch. "You? Stronger than me?! That's a laugh! Look who has such a bad loss streak and rep as a Trainer," he snarled. Misty turned red at this insult, and both of them stepped forward.

Before the fighting could turn physical, Trip stopped Misty's advance. "Hey, why don't you two battle it out with your Pokemon? It'll be good entertainment, watching you trash this loser," he suggested, wanting to see Max humiliated for threatening his girlfriend. Misty nodded, then put away her mallet.

"Sure, honey. Sounds good!" she said cheerfully, kissing Trip's cheek. Max rolled his eyes and relaxed.

"Whatever. My Pokemon could use a warm-up, anyway. Rules?" he said.

"A three-on-three battle, on the beach, now. Unless you're too scared?" Misty said tauntingly. The brown-haired Trainer chuckled at this.

"Sure, why not? This'll be over real fast. You know, I doubt it'll count as a warm-up for my Pokemon, anyway," he told them, before walking off towards the battle site. Tory, Ash, Cynthia, and May followed suit, along with the group that betrayed Ash.

"The battle between Max Maple of Petalburg and Misty Waterflower of Cerulean will now begin! Each side will use three Pokemon each, and substitutions may be made by either side. Trainers, send out your Pokemon!" Brock declared.

"This'll be fast. Go, Gyarados!" Misty yelled, sending out the Atrocious Pokemon. The Gyarados roared in challenge as it came out. Max noted that it was somewhat smaller than most other members of its species.

"Indeed, this will. In fact, it's a waste of our time. Umbreon, let's show them what we're made of!" he declared, sending out the Dark-type Eeveeloution. Umbreon came out gracefully, and let out a bored yawn at Gyarados's attempts to scare it. _**Why is my master, having me battle this nobody? Oh well, someone's gotta do it, and he does want to save our "secret weapon" for a proper opponent. Plus, I could use a stretch, **_the Moonlight Pokemon thought to itself.

"Battle begin!" Brock announced.

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" Misty shouted. Gyarados charged a large beam of light, before firing it at Umbreon. The Dark-type Pokemon rolled its eyes, not even making an effort to dodge the attack.

A large explosion of sand billowed out. Gary's group shielded their eyes with their arms, while Ash's group, minus May, just closed them. When the sand settled, Umbreon wasn't even scratched by the impact.

Max laughed out loud. "Oh well, so much for being a master Water-type Trainer. Umbreon, Toxic!" he said. Umbreon spat out a clump of purple sludge at the Water-type Pokemon. With Gyarados being immobilized by the Hyper Beam, Misty could only watch as her Pokemon roared in pain, being covered by the Toxic.

_'This is bad. Gyarados isn't going to be hanging in much longer,' _she thought to herself. "Dragon Dance!" she commanded after thinking a bit more. Gyarados growled in pain, before performing an intricate dance to boost its Attack and Speed.

"I can't believe you fell for it. Umbreon, Foul Play!" the brown-haired Trainer said in a bored voice. Umbreon glowed a neon purple, before slamming into Gyarados, drawing upon its opponent's strength in the attack. Gyarados let out a low roar, then collapsed without another sound.

"Gyarados is unable to battle. Umbreon wins," Brock said without much enthusiasm. He wondered what had gotten into Misty, and why her Gyarados could be taken out by one attack from an Umbreon.

"You're probably wondering why that attack was so powerful, right?" Max asked Misty. When she nodded, he continued. "It's because Foul Play draws upon its opponent's Attack stat instead of its own to attack. I knew you were gonna try to boost your Pokemon's stats and try to finish Umbreon off, with Toxic setting a timer on its staying power. Even so, your Gyarados is very poorly trained. A properly trained member of its species could withstand at least one Foul Play, even with an Attack boost and Toxic poison eating away at it. You're just a terrible Trainer, and I feel sorry for all of your Pokemon. That goes to all of you, too," he finished, glaring at Misty, Brock, and the others.

Misty gaped at Max's daring. How dare he insult her Pokemon like that? "Oh, really? Then prepare for this! Go, Starmie!" she yelled. The dual-type Pokemon came out without a sound, standing ready to battle.

After thinking for a bit, Max grinned. He had an idea on how to really humiliate Misty. "Umbreon, return!" he said, recalling Umbreon back to its Pokeball. "Thanks, Umbreon. Perfect form out there. No complaints here."

"Now, Hydreigon, let's show them what we're made of!" he yelled, sending out the Dragon-type Pokemon, which came out with a powerful roar.

Misty smirked. "Bad move, rookie Trainer. Starmie, Ice Beam!" she commanded. Starmie charged a ball of ice, before firing a concentrated beam at Hydreigon. The Brutal Pokemon didn't even flinch as the Ice Beam made contact, doing negligible damage.

"Well, anyway… Hydreigon, Flamethrower," Max said in a monotone. _'This battle is really boring'_, he thought. Hydreigon complied, spitting out a white-hot stream of fire at Starmie. It fell without a sound on impact, gemstone blinking to indicate its fall.

"Starmie is unable to battle… H-Hydreigon wins…" Brock stuttered, unable to believe that a Flamethrower downed Starmie in a single hit. Everyone else on Misty's side stared in disbelief as well. Max's side, including May smirked. They knew what the outcome of that Flamethrower was going to be.

"Bad move, rookie Trainer. Sound familiar?" Max spat tauntingly. His opponent growled, furious with her Starmie for its loss and Max's jibes.

"This will finish it! Golduck, go!" she snapped, tossing her last Pokemon's Pokeball. Golduck came out with a screech, which made Hydreigon laugh.

"Enough of this crap. Hydreigon, one more Flamethrower so that we can do some proper training already," Max said. Hydreigon rolled its eyes, before quickly sending another stream of fire at Golduck. The results were the same as Starmie's loss, and Misty regretfully recalled her fainted Pokemon.

"Golduck is unable to battle. Hydreigon is the winner, and the victory goes to Max of Petalburg…" Brock said without any enthusiasm, imagining having to fight him during the tournament.

"Nice job, Hydreigon. Great form out there. Nothing we really need to improve on," Max congratulated his Pokemon. The Brutal Pokemon let out a soft growl of appreciation, and rolled its eyes. The battle had been the most boring one of its life, and Max agreed.

"How could I lose to the likes of you? And how are you a Champion?" Misty asked in disbelief. Max, Tory, Ash, and Cynthia smirked.

"Simple, because I properly trained and cared for my team, instead of just boasting around and trying to shove my responsibilities on others," he taunted. "Plus, I'm the Champion of Hoenn because Cynthia and Ash trained Tory and me."

Tory chuckled. "Johto is the region that I became the Champion of. After learning under the best," he said, indicating Ash and Cynthia, who blushed slightly at the compliments, "it was easy."

Ash smirked; _'Here it comes,' _he thought. "I'm the Kanto Champion, and you probably saw the statistics on the ones most likely to win this tournament. Surprised? Thought I'd never become a Champion?" he told the group.

The traitors stared at them, especially Gary. May looked with pride at Tory and Max.

"Impossible, how could you three become Champions?! No one, not even Cynthia, should be able to repair your lack of skill!" Gary yelled. Suddenly, everyone shuddered as the temperature seemed to plummet from Cynthia's glare. _'It was warmer where I was nearly killed by those Sealeo and Walrein,' _Tory thought to himself, shaking his head at Gary's stupidity. Suddenly, the Sinnoh Champion stormed up to Gary and punched him hard enough to send him reeling.

"You shouldn't be talking, you pathetic excuse for a Pokemon researcher," she snarled. Ash, Max, and Tory were surprised by her vehemence. Normally, she was a serene and calm person; able to resolve conflicts with just a few words, but now she was really getting into her anger. The sight of a truly enraged Cynthia was something no one, not even Ash, had ever seen before. Their thoughts were interrupted by her even more raised voice.

"If you ever insult them again, you had better hope that I'm on another continent, because otherwise I'll destroy you! You hear me?!" she yelled. Gary nodded, afraid of her vengeance and fury. Cynthia walked back over to her friends, who hugged her, trying to calm her down. The blonde-haired Trainer's eyes softened, and she relaxed. "Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem," Max, Tory, and Ash all said in unison.

"Okay, anyway, back to the original problem. Some of us need to stay at your villa, so who will it be?" Trip interrupted.

"Just what kind of an arrogant jerk are you? You're insulting us with every other sentence, and now you want us to cover your freaking living expenses?!" Tory asked in disbelief.

"I'll stay with them! You guys go ahead!" Brock announced.

"What? Okay, but why?" Gary asked, getting up from the ground.

"Guess why," Brock said suggestively, giving a rather lecherous look to Cynthia. The Sinnoh Champion stared in horror and slowly backed away, crossing her arms around her chest.

Ash's sight turned red with anger at the sound of those words. Before he could beat Brock up for his perversion, Max had already dealt a swift punch to the stomach, winding Brock. Tory followed this up with a knee strike to the face, sending him reeling. Both of them glanced at each other, nodded, then performed a simultaneous kick to the Gym Leader's crotch.

"Ohh!" Gary, Trip, and the others groaned at the sight. Brock gaped in pain, before collapsing to the ground. Both attackers glared at Brock's crumpled form, before returning to Ash's and Cynthia's side, standing in front of the Sinnoh Champion defensively. Ash smirked at the sight, and Cynthia didn't try to conceal her look of satisfaction.

"You know, perhaps I could fill a spot?" a new voice said. Ash turned around, to look at a face he had not seen in years. It was…

_**A/N: Cliffhanger! XD (Guess whose voice that is.) Don't worry, I update often. For example, next chapter's due tomorrow.**_

_**Anyway, Umbreon and Hydreigon are two of my favorite Pokemon, so I figured that Max would use them. Talk about character bashing, though. Brock's perversion was stepped up, Gary and Trip are even more arrogant than in their old anime appearances (actually surprising), and Misty is… bashed very badly. That is all I can say.**_

_**Suggestions? I'm open to them. Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**Question of the day: Which Pokemon is Max's "secret weapon"? (I think this'll be too easy.)**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: New Friends, Part 1**_

_**A/N: Well, our first OC of this fanfiction! Anyone else happy at the introduction of the new guy? Anyway, enjoy!**_

_The man sitting at the desk watched the scene between both parties unfold before his eyes. Unbeknownst to Ash and company, they were being watched from a tall building among others in Undella Town. Another man walked into the room._

_ "Sir, everything is going as planned. We have not captured any of the legendaries yet, but our agents are cornering them as we speak. Dialga and Palkia in particular have nearly been driven from their hiding spots."_

_ "Very good. Continue your work," the man in the desk said. The visitor nodded and left quickly._

_ "Soon, Ash Ketchum. Soon, I'll have my true revenge for your meddling. Pallet Town was just the beginning," he muttered, leaning his elbows on his desk._

"Paul!"

And it was indeed Paul. The Trainer from Veilstone City had grown out his hair, letting it dangle just above his shoulders. He wore a light gray hoodie, which was zipped up, and dark blue jeans. His hands were in his pockets like in previous encounters, but Paul was actually smiling at Ash. Said Trainer still couldn't believe it.

"Yep, it's me. Cynthia, good to see you again," Paul said, shaking hands with her. Cynthia smiled, seeing the changes in the Trainer's personality. No longer would his training be abusive to his Pokemon, especially his lower-leveled ones. He might still be somewhat cold to others, but change took time. Something she knew from experience with Ash.

"Max, Tory. I saw your Championship battles. Nice job," he complimented the two youngest Trainers of the group. Both of the young Champions grinned at the praise.

"Thanks!" Max and Tory said, forgetting about the conflicts from a moment ago.

Paul nodded, then turned towards Ash. "I heard that you have a spot open for rent in your villa? If you don't mind, could I stay in it? I'll be more than willing to pay the rent," he said.

Ash smiled warmly. "No need for that, Paul. You can stay, and don't worry about rent. You stood up for me in the face of the traitors, and I'll never forget that," he told his former rival.

"So, what are we gonna do about the last two spots? If you have to invite any of the traitors, I'm camping outside," the purple-haired Trainer commented, provoking glares from the group who turned against Ash. Paul simply glared back, with even more malevolence than any glare he gave to Ash.

Max stepped up. "Leave that to us. We'll find two other people. You guys just go on ahead," he reassured the group.

"Yeah, we got this. It won't be hard," Tory said, supporting his friend.

Ash shrugged. "Sure, whomever you want. Why not? I can't think of anyone else, and I doubt Cynthia, May or Paul can, so you two can," he said casually.

Max and Tory grinned in thanks, before walking off to look for two more roommates. As soon as they were out of sight, Ash turned toward his former friends.

"If you'll excuse us," he growled, "we're going to check out our villa." He opened the door with the key, then strode in, Paul, May, and Cynthia following. The door slammed shut, and the lock turned.

"Well, great. Now what?" Gary groaned. He was not camping out when there were these comfortable villas around. His companions, including Brock still down on the floor, shrugged.

"Wow," Ash said in wonder. Pikachu looked around, letting out a cry of delight.

The villa was more luxurious than either of them had imagined. The living room had a massive flat-screen TV, with a marble coffee table and plush couches. The kitchen was well-equipped with an oven, a microwave, a grill, and much more. When Paul checked the fridge, it was even stuffed with food. Looking up, Ash saw solid maple-wood stairs, with cotton covering each step. Walking into another room, he cheered. There was even a massive Jacuzzi!

"I'll go make us some coffee. Ash, why don't you and Cynthia get re-acquainted with your friend?" Paul offered. His offer had two purposes. One, to get the drinks. Two, to give the Trainer some room to talk about what had happened in Pallet Town.

"Whoa, man. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Paul?" Ash joked.

"My name is Paul Shinji, and the "real Paul" you speak of is on vacation. I'm his stunt double," the other Trainer said seriously. Only a curl of his lips indicated his jest. Ash chuckled slightly, then turned towards May.

"May, let's talk a bit, okay?" Ash told the Coordinator.

"Sure, I think it'll benefit all of us," she said with a smile. May, Cynthia, and Ash all took seats on the couches in the living room, while Paul prepared drinks.

"Maybe this is gonna be harder than I thought…" Tory muttered. Max nodded in agreement.

Both Trainers had been waiting outside the lobby for someone who needed a place to stay, but didn't want to get a villa, for half an hour. As they glanced at each other, they were about to start asking around, when they heard a voice.

"Please, just let me through! I'll sign autographs when I get situated!"

Max and Tory turned towards the owner of the voice. They saw a tall male with peach-colored hair and fashionable sunglasses on his head. He wore a crisp white hoodie with gray cotton on the hood, with a green-and-orange shirt underneath. A small light-blue bag rested on top of a pair of black slacks. The Trainer looked like the kind of relaxed person who everyone wanted to be friends with, and had an almost tangible aura of experience, yet he looked more panicked than someone at gunpoint. Reasonable, since he was surrounded by a large crowd begging for his autographs.

Max chuckled at an idea that suddenly popped into his mind. There was a potential roommate, and he looked like a cool guy. _'Might as well rescue him, anyway,' _he thought to himself.

"Hydreigon, let's help him out," Max whispered, trying to send his Pokemon out as discreetly as possible. For once, Hydreigon understood the need for stealth and did not roar out on release.

"Look, he's surrounded by fans, poor guy. Let's pull him outta there," the Brutal Pokemon's Trainer said quietly. Hydreigon thought for a moment, and then nodded. The two young Champions climbed onto the Pokemon's back, who flew towards the unfortunate Trainer and his fans. Before anyone could even blink, Hydreigon had plucked the Trainer out of the crowd with one of its mouths and tossed him onto its back. The crowd yelled in outrage and attempted to follow the Pokemon, but even with three passengers, Hydreigon was easily able to outpace the humans. The unknown Trainer sighed in relief, thankful for the people who had rescued him.

When Hydreigon settled on the other side of town after losing the posse, all three Trainers dismounted.

"Thanks, Hydreigon," Max said as he recalled his Pokemon. The peach-haired Trainer cleared his throat, then began talking.

"Thanks for saving my life back there. If there's anything I can do to repay you guys, let me know," he said.

Tory smiled. "Nah, it's cool. We know what that kinda crowd's like, bro," he reassured the Trainer.

"Well, anyway, what's your name?" Max asked.

"The name's Isaac. Your names?" Isaac informed them.

"Name's Max." "I'm Tory."

"Cool, nice to meet you. Say, you guys have a place to stay?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, we've got a place. Villa 501. You need a room?" the silver-haired Trainer asked their new friend.

"To be honest, yeah. None of the villas hold fewer than four, and I don't wanna bunk with a loser who can't train his Pokemon on his own and expect others to do so for him," he responded, annoyance in his voice.

Max laughed. "Don't worry, we're not like that. We're competing too, and we do pretty well in battles," he said. "So, you want a room?"

"Sure, but let's have a battle first. I wanna make sure you guys aren't just suck-ups to steal my tactics, no offense," Isaac said.

"None taken at all. In fact, you're doing the smart thing, making sure you know what kinda people you're bunking with. Max, I've got this," Tory responded.

Max shrugged. "Sure, since I did battle earlier. I say battle by the loosest definition of the term, however," he said.

Isaac chuckled. "All right then. One-on-one fine with you?" he asked.

"Sure, sounds good," Tory said.

"Cool. Electivire, let's make this a good battle!" Isaac declared, sending out his Pokemon. The Electric-type came out with a powerful bellow.

"Tory, be careful. This guy's no pushover; you can feel the power coming off of them," Max warned his friend.

"You think I'm stupid or something?" Tory laughed. "I'm going all out for once. Reuniclus, show them your power!" he yelled, sending out his teammate. Reuniclus let out a happy gurgle at the sight of a powerful opponent, unlike many of its previous enemies.

"I'll lead. Electro Ball, then Thunderpunch!" Tory's opponent commanded. Electivire suddenly charged a ball of electricity in its hands, before firing it and punching through it with Thunderpunch. This covered the Pokemon's fist in several times the normal amount of electricity.

"Now there's a combo to be wary of. Reuniclus, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast," the silver-haired Trainer said calmly. The Psychic-type charged the Shadow Ball in one hand, and the Focus Blast in the other. As soon as the attacks were done charging, Reuniclus pushed the attacks together, forming a blue and purple sphere, which was then thrown at the rapidly approaching Electivire.

The two attacks collided in an enormous explosion. Tory's sight was clouded by the attacks, so he couldn't see Isaac smirk. Suddenly, Electivire leapt out of the smoke with a Thunderpunch, startling both Reuniclus and Tory. The Electric-type Pokemon landed a solid punch on the Psychic-type, sending it reeling with a cry of pain.

"Whoa, that was cool. I'm assuming Electivire fired the Electro Ball at the last second, and hid in the smoke for the right time to strike?" Tory guessed.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Isaac asked in shock. No one had ever been able to guess that before.

"I picked a thing or two up while I was still just a newbie to battling. Reuniclus, Trick Room!" he yelled. Reuniclus hummed, before enveloping the battlefield in a strange dimension. Electivire growled, knowing Reuniclus would have the advantage in this environment.

"Now, Psychic!" Tory commanded. The Pokemon raised its arms at Electivire, sending out a wave of energy and concentrating its will to bend its opponent's.

"We'll have to stall this out. Protect!" his opponent said, prompting Electivire to surround itself in a protective green barrier. The Psychic attack bounced off.

_'There's still some smoke left. Fire Psyshock from the smoke, then Calm Mind and Recover when Electivire reels,' _Tory thought towards Reuniclus. Because Reuniclus was a Psychic-type Pokemon, they could communicate with each other with thought.

Reuniclus followed its Trainer's commands, firing clumps of psychic energy as soon as the Protect collapsed. While Electivire reeled and Isaac stared in shock at the lack of commands, Reuniclus glowed, boosting its offense and defense, while also healing off its damage.

"Wow, you can communicate with your Pokemon through thought? Nice!" Isaac said in appreciation.

Tory smiled at his opponent's intellect. Surprisingly, no one had ever been able to guess that. Everyone just assumed Reuniclus did its own thing, regardless of what its Trainer wanted. "Well, then prepare for this. Trick!" he commanded, shaking off his nervous feelings.

Reuniclus grinned, before applying psychic energy to its and its opponent's items. Electivire stared in horror at the red orb it had received, before screeching in pain as it was burned. The Psychic-type, on the other hand, smirked as it saw the Liechi Berry it now held. So much for Electivire's attempted boost.

Before either Pokemon could make another move, Isaac interrupted. "Stop, that's enough. You win this round," he said. He knew that Reuniclus wasn't showing any signs of burns because of Magic Guard, which nullified indirect damage. Because of the burn, Electivire couldn't paralyze it. Said Electric-type was also burned, so physical attacks were gone. Special attacks would bounce off from the Calm Mind. To top it off, Trick Room was still active. Electivire had no chance at all.

Tory smiled, happy that Isaac knew when to throw in the towel for his Pokemon. "Great job, Reuniclus! You did really well," he congratulated his Pokemon. The Psychic-type gurgled in happiness, before dispersing the Trick Room and returning to its Pokeball.

"You too, Electivire. Thanks for all of your effort," the peach-haired Trainer said to his Pokemon, before applying a Full Restore to his Electric-type and taking the Flame Orb. Electivire smiled gratefully, before Isaac returned his Pokemon. The two trainers shook hands.

"I'm really impressed. You really took down Electivire like a master. He's one of my top fighters, second only to my starter and my secret weapon," Isaac said.

Tory grinned. "Well, you landed a pretty hard blow to Reuniclus, unlike what most other people can do. Had us on the ropes before you used Protect. Say, you want your Liechi berry back?" he said in return.

"Well, it was a lose-lose situation either way; get slammed by Psychic or risk the set-up. Anyway, great battle. I'd love to stay at your place," the Trainer said. "Oh, and keep the berry. Consider it the victory payment."

"Wow, now there was a battle to be interested in. Great work, both of you," Max said, getting up from the sidelines and walking up to his friend and new roommate.

"Thanks," they both said in unison. They stopped as they heard loud steps coming towards them. Isaac's crowd had finally found them, after looking all around town.

All three Trainers paled. "Oh, crap," they whispered, before turning tail and running towards a nearby forest.

_**A/N: (Cue dramatic music) We find out that a mysterious criminal organization is responsible for the burning of Pallet Town. (Who's surprised? -_-)**_

_**For those of you who wanted some Paul bashing, I'm sorry! I just couldn't make myself. True, he's portrayed as a selfish, cold a** in the anime, but I find that boring. If he's portrayed as a mostly over-chill guy with minor to moderate attitude issues, **_

_**For the list of people in Ash's villa so far:**_

_**-Ash**_

_**-Cynthia**_

_**-Max**_

_**-Tory**_

_**-May**_

_**-Isaac**_

_**Yet another chapter done. Sine it's a long weekend, chapters should be rolling in like usual. Be warned: I'm busy on Saturday (5/25), so I probably won't upload on that day. Sorry! Read, review, (constructively) criticize, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_

_**PS: I based Isaac off of the picture from DeviantArt. All credits go to the artist. Great art, whoever made it.**_

_ art/P2Go-Gym-Leader-Juno-312347277_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: New Friends, Part 2**_

_**A/N: Umm, nothing much to say, really. :P I'm surprised that I managed to get this done today.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"… and that's why I did what I did…" May muttered guiltily as she finished her tale. Ash and Cynthia listened patiently as they heard the Coordinator's point of view of the events five years ago. Unbeknownst to them, Paul was done with the drinks, but was waiting in the kitchen. He knew that walking in at that moment was dangerous, if not downright suicidal.

"Well, I can't say I forgive you yet," Ash stated flatly. May hung her head in shame. "But, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, since you don't think I'm a criminal."

She nodded, more than happy at his reaction. She was expecting yelling, accusing, kicking her out of the villa. Instead, she received a line to grasp at for forgiveness.

"I agree with Ash," Cynthia stated. "Though your intents were not malevolent, your actions were rather so. It's your intent that I'm interested in, however, and I believe you didn't want to turn against him." The Sinnoh Champion hugged her boyfriend soothingly, which Ash returned. Pikachu, who had entered the room, heard this and took it as a sign of permission to jump into May's lap again. The Electric-type Pokemon let out a sigh of content, before falling asleep yet again.

Everyone smiled, relieved that they had gotten this stage of redemption out of the way. It was at that moment that Paul decided it was safe to make his entrance.

"Drinks?" he inquired. Everyone nodded, wanting to quench their thirst. The purple-haired Trainer laid the platter of beverages on the coffee table, and everyone reached for one.

"Mmh, you make good cappuccinos, Paul," Ash said happily, taking a large swig from his cup. The Trainer noted the hints of chocolate and caramel in his drink, and decided he loved it.

"Thank you for the green tea," Cynthia said politely, as she took a small sip from her cup. She found it surprisingly good, different from the other kinds of green tea she normally drank. _'Mint in the tea? Interesting,' _she noted.

"Wow, this is good," May praised her cup of lemonade, noticing the added limes and strawberries in her beverage.

Paul smiled slightly. "I did learn from Reggie when I trained at home for a while. He figured having some culinary experience would help, and it did," he casually said. Their conversation was interrupted by Cynthia's phone ringing.

She picked her phone up and opened it. "Yes, hello? This is Cynthia speaking," she said, expecting an official from a League.

"Hey Cynthia! Can you get the door unlocked?" Max's voice was audible from the phone, huffing from slight fatigue.

"Whoa, what's going on? Everything all right?" the blonde Champion asked in concern.

"Yeah! Everything's fine! More or less," he said casually. In the background, the people in the villa could hear other voices. "Good news and bad news. Good news is we found someone who wants to stay with us. Bad news, we're being chased by his posse of fans!"

"Hurry up! They're almost onto us!" "I know that! Your yelling isn't helping!" Everyone in the villa sweatdropped at the sound of the bickering.

"Yeah… GET THE DOOR OPEN! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" a new voice practically screamed into the phone in desperation. Pikachu woke up and glared irritably at the phone. The connection went dead.

"Okay…" Paul said awkwardly. No one had a real response to the phone call. Cynthia did as Max requested and unlocked the front door.

Ten minutes later, three Trainers barged into the villa. Two of them were Max and Tory. The third one was Isaac, though no one else knew who he was. All three of them were out of breath from their running.

"Phew… Sorry about… the rude greeting," the peach-haired Trainer panted. "Had to… get away from… fans…"

Paul nodded. "Okay then… Anyway, I'm Paul, and I'm from Veilstone," he introduced himself.

"Isaac, and I'm from Orre," the new Trainer said. "I know all of you already by reputation. Cynthia is the Sinnoh League Champion, Ash is the Kanto Champion, May is a Top Coordinator, and I met Max and Tory before the run."

"You do know we're Champions too, right?" Tory asked, slightly annoyed.

"Oh, really? Cool! Hoenn and Johto?" Isaac asked excitedly. Max and Tory rolled their eyes and nodded.

"Now that we got intros in, let's choose our rooms," May said. They all went upstairs to see a long hallway, with four doors on each side. Two doors were at the end, probably for bathrooms or closets.

"Ah, screw it. Let's just pick a random room each and unpack tomorrow," Max groaned. He was tired from the sprinting they had done all the way from the other end of town to their villa. Not being able to think of a better method, everyone nodded and drifted off towards a room each.

After dropping off their belongings, they went back down to the kitchen to discuss dinner options.

"Okay, so who here can cook? Because I can't," Isaac declared. Everyone else glanced at each other, then looked at Paul.

"What? Don't look at me. I specialize in light foods, not meals," he said tiredly.

"This guy can't cook for his life, and we can't either," Max and Tory said simultaneously, pointing at Ash. The Kanto Champion laughed sheepishly, and shuddered at the memories of his failed attempts at cooking. The two youngest members of the group thought they saw their lives flash before their eyes when they tried Ash's cooking.

"I only make Pokeblocks," May put in, chuckling a bit. She thought back to her disaster with "May's Purple Surprise". It had knocked out all of her, Ash's, and Brock's Pokemon. Something that only happened because of her Pokeblocks. Pikachu in particular shuddered, thinking back to that disastrous moment.

Cynthia shrugged. "I usually get something like pizza," she commented. Everyone but Max, Ash, and Tory stared at her, and for good reason. The Sinnoh Champion was in peak physical condition, outrunning all of her Pokemon but her Garchomp on morning runs. She had participated in multiple martial arts competitions, winning most of them. People assumed she was secretly a master cook who made all of her meals by herself. The truth: she was just as bad as Ash.

"Good times, huh?" Max muttered sarcastically to Tory, thinking back to when they had tried a recipe made by both Ash and Cynthia. The hospital staff thought it was an assassination attempt by a criminal organization as the two young Trainers were whisked to the emergency room.

"Shut up… I'd rather eat actual poison. At least our chances would be better," the Johto Champion groaned quietly. They shared a low chuckle at this personal joke.

"So, pizza?" Ash asked the group. They shrugged and nodded. Before Ash could get his phone out, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Max mumbled, rising from his seat and walking to the door. When he opened it, his jaw nearly dropped out of his mouth, though he kept his composure.

She was about 5'6'', just a few inches shorter than Max. She had a pink and white beanie, with a hairstyle consisting of two loops and a long strand of hair from each. The girl wore a blue and white T-shirt with a pink Pokeball in the center. On her legs were a short yellow skirt and black leggings. A pink handbag with straps on her shoulder rested on her hips. To the Hoenn Champion, she wasn't just beautiful, she was drop-dead gorgeous.

_'DO NOT take a leaf out of Brock's book,' _he thought to himself, before saying, "Hello? Can I help you?" It took a lot of willpower to keep eye contact with her, though he didn't show it.

"Hi, my name is Rosa, and I'm from Aspertia City. I believe you're Max the Hoenn Champion? I'd like to rent a room for the tournament. Is that okay?" she asked worriedly.

Max quickly nodded. "Sure, we have some rooms available. Just pick a vacant one, and make yourself at home. We're getting pizza soon," he said energetically. His previous fatigue melted away at the sight of the girl.

Rosa smiled. "Thanks," she said, and walked into the villa, closing the door behind her. Everyone mumbled their greetings just loudly enough for Rosa to hear, too exhausted by the day's events to speak up.

The three other Champions and Isaac grinned at Max behind Rosa's back as she walked up the stairs. Paul rolled his eyes, May chuckled at her little brother's love-struck face, and Pikachu looked indifferent.

"So you like her, huh?" Tory asked cheekily.

"Shut up, she might hear," Max said quickly, looking towards the staircase. Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed quietly.

"Well, you do stand a good chance of going out with her," Cynthia informed the young Trainer. "You're a Champion, you're good-looking, and you're kind. What else could she ask for?" Max blushed at the compliments.

"Money?" Rosa joked as she walked down the staircase. Max almost jumped out of his seat in surprise. Cynthia laughed at the joke and her young protégé's reaction to the new girl's voice.

"Just kidding, don't worry," she laughed, and grinned at Max's flustered face. _'Well, Cynthia is right. He's a Champion, and a good-looking one, too. If he really is kind, then I think this could work,' _she thought, blushing slightly as she looked at Max.

"All right, how about this? Let's go get drinks at the local coffeehouse tomorrow, after training. We both need to prepare for the tournament, and we both know that. Afterwards, let's get to know each other better. Sound good?" the new Trainer offered.

"Sounds great!" the Hoenn Trainer said enthusiastically, elated at the chance for a date with Rosa. Tory gave a cheeky grin and a thumbs-up to his best friend.

"Err, Ash? The pizza?" Paul questioned.

"Ohh, right," Ash muttered, and called the pizza parlor with his cell phone. The purple-haired Trainer groaned quietly. Isaac shook his head. He wondered to himself, _'Is he always forgetful like this?'_

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang yet again. Max ran up to answer it again, holding money to pay for the food.

"Alright sir, here's your order. Two large pizzas, one with pepperoni and one vegetarian pizza?" the man inquired.

"Yep, that's right. Here's the money, and keep the change," Max remarked, handing over the bills and taking the pizza boxes. The man smiled in thanks, before wishing Max a good night. The Champion did the same, and shut the door.

"Finally, dammit! I'm starving," Paul grumbled. Cynthia and Ash grinned. There was the old Paul they knew, though they were pretty hungry themselves.

"Watch your language around the girls, Paul," Max said jokingly, wagging a finger at the Veilstone Trainer as he handed out plates and cups, before poring soda and serving pizza. He made sure to serve the newest guest first, making her smile.

"He's got more class than you," Tory whispered to Ash, and laughed as he easily blocked the Kanto Champion's jesting elbow strike. May and Cynthia laughed as well, thinking of Ash's old eating habits. To what extent the blonde Champion had rehabilitated Ash's habits, May wanted to find out.

When all of the pizza was served, everyone raised their drinks, before settling down to their meal. Surprisingly, Ash made did not scarf down slices as quickly as a Snorlax could, something that slightly unsettled May. _'Wow, is Cynthia a miracle worker? Or maybe it's because he's trying to help Max impress Rosa?' _the Coordinator thought to herself. She giggled as she saw her little brother make sure Rosa always had a full cup and plate, finding time to eat and drink in between.

"I could get used to that," Rosa laughed as she finished the last slice of pizza, everyone else too full to keep eating. Max chuckled slightly, enjoying the sound of her laughter.

"You guys wanna watch some TV, or sleep?" Cynthia asked the group. Everyone decided they wanted to sleep, so they streamed upstairs to their rooms.

"Good night everyone," Max yawned, giving one more sleep smile to Rosa, which she returned. Everyone (except Paul) chuckled at this, before going to their respective rooms for a good night's rest.

_**A/N: Aww, looks like our little Hoenn Champion is about to get a girlfriend!**_

_**Anyway, I can't believe I got this chapter done today. Went to a party for a friend's birthday, and we didn't really do much. Saw a movie (Star Trek: Into Darkness), played some SSBB, and ate. That's about it. It was fun, though.**_

_**Read, review, and keep a sharp eye out for new chapters!**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: Secret Weapons and Drinks**_

_**A/N: Here it is! Finally, you get to see (almost) everyone's secret weapons! Yep, you called me on it, those Pokemon are indeed Legendaries!**_

_**Sorry I didn't update yesterday. Us fanfiction writers have other priorities, too! (Namely, end-of-the-year test prep.)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Serperior, Leaf Blade!"

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!"

Max and Rosa were training their Pokemon with each other, learning about each other's teams. Max had his Hydreigon, Gallade, and Umbreon. He also had a Lucario, a Swampert, and another Pokemon which he had yet to take out. Rosa had her Serperior, along with a Reuniclus, Escavalier, Bisharp, Gallade (which pleased Max), and a Cloyster, along with her secret weapon. The other Pokemon were resting on the sidelines, having fought each other earlier.

The two sparring Pokemon were locked into each other's attacks, unable or unwilling to give ground.

"Wow, you've got quite the Pokemon. Not many others have been able to stand against Serperior's Leaf Blade," Rosa complimented.

"Thanks," the Hoenn Champion said proudly. "We've done a lot of work to get to where we are now. Gallade, end this with Ice Punch!"

Gallade smirked, before pushing back one last time and backing up several steps, surprising the Grass-type starter. Serperior fell forward, and as it tried to straighten itself, the Blade Pokemon charged icy energy into its fist. Before Serperior could react, it was hit in the stomach by the powerful Ice-type attack. The starter fell without a sound.

"Serperior is unable to battle! The winner is Gallade!" Tory declared. He had volunteered to referee the battle when he heard about it, and Isaac decided to watch as well. Both males saw a good opportunity to watch a serious battle against two powerful Trainers, and took it.

"Serperior, thanks for all of your effort," Rosa smiled as she recalled her Pokemon. "Get some rest."

"You were great, Gallade! Let's work on our form a bit, okay? Maybe if you lock blades with another Pokemon, try redirecting it?" Max praised his Pokemon, along with giving it some constructive criticism. Gallade nodded, taking the words of praise and critique into heart.

"I must say, no one has ever forced me to use this Pokemon. I met this one at a scenic lake resort. It challenged me to a battle, testing my worth. I'm happy to say we prevailed. If only I had it when I challenged the Pokemon League… Now, Sacred Swordsman of water and resolution, I call upon thy aid! Keldeo!" she declared, throwing her Pokeball.

The Water-and-Fighting Pokemon leapt into the air gracefully, showing off its gleaming coat and sharp horn, before landing on the ground.

"A fight with a Legendary Pokemon is an honor, and though we may fail, we shall try. Gallade, give it your all!" Max said, happy that Gallade had the opportunity to face a Sacred Swordsman. Gallade was also honored, and the two Pokemon exchanged bows before standing off in front of each other.

"Wow, that was really poetic. You write poetry?" Rosa asked in wonder. Tory stared for a moment at his friend, wondering where the poetry had come from. He wasn't like that most of the time.

Max blushed. "I'm not gonna lie, I don't. Sometimes, the inspiration to say things like that just sweeps upon me. Anyway, let's continue, hmm?" he said. Rosa nodded, before both Trainers gave their commands.

"Secret Sword!"

"Psycho Cut!"

In the office building looming above the town, the figure behind the desk scowled as he watched this scene unfold. Some random Trainer with a legendary Pokemon? This would make his plan tricky.

"This complicates matters seriously. We need to do something about it," the man muttered. In a walkie-talkie, he said succinctly, "Subject B-2 has proven to have Keldeo. Do something about it." In the shadows to the side, three growls rang out, bloodlust visible in its eyes. Oh, how it would love to fight and conquer a Legend, one of the strongest of them all.

"Gallade is unable to battle! The winner is Keldeo!" Tory declared in awe at the battle that had unfolded before his eyes.

"Great effort, Gallade. Thanks for giving it your all," Max said proudly, hugging the Blade Pokemon. Gallade smiled, returning the hug, before walking off to the sidelines to rest. The young Champion turned towards Rosa.

"You are by far one of the toughest Trainers I've had the honor to fight. You honored me by showing me your Legendary, and I shall do so as well. Wish-Granter of the Millennium Comet, I call upon thy aid! Jirachi!" Max yelled, sending out the Pokemon. Jirachi flew up elegantly, power seeming to stream from its body. A serene smile was on its face, as it stood in front of Keldeo, before slamming into Max with a hug. Max returned it. Isaac and Rosa stared, while Tory stood up even straighter, eager to watch this battle. Before either Trainer gave a command, Max had an idea.

"Why don't you heal your Keldeo? It'll really give us a chance to assess our strength and the bonds between our Pokemon," he proposed, offering a Full Restore to his opponent. She smiled and nodded, before taking the medicine and applying it to Keldeo's various injuries from Gallade. Soon, the Sacred Swordsman was able to stand with full power.

"The final round between Jirachi and Gallade will now commence! Begin!" Tory declared.

Max took the initiative. "Jirachi, Thunder Wave!" he called out. The Wish Pokemon launched several waves of electricity at its transformed opponent, aiming to slow it down and offer opportunities to set up.

"Cut through it with Secret Sword, then use Hydro Pump!" Rosa commanded. The Colt Pokemon complied, slashing the electricity with its glowing horn, before turning quickly and raising its legs, sending a concentrated torrent of water at Jirachi. The Steel-and-Psychic type staggered in midair as it struggled against the Water-type attack.

_'This is bad. Keldeo's way stronger than I expected. Gonna need to change tactics,' _Max thought worriedly as he saw one of his closest friends struggle against its opponent's power. "Hurry, use Wish and Calm Mind!" he yelled quickly. _'Oh, and Future Sight afterward,' _he thought to his Pokemon. A glow of light appeared above Jirachi, before it shined with a pure pink light, raising its offense and defense.

"Keep up the pressure," Rosa ordered. Keldeo nodded. "Now, Icy Wind and Secret Sword!" The Colt Pokemon blew a chilling wind towards its opponent, before riding it for even more speed, horn glowing.

"Jirachi, use Protect, then Zen Headbutt," Max said, more calmly than before. A green barrier appeared around Jirachi, shielding it from attacks. The Icy Wind and Secret Sword bounced off. As Keldeo tried to back away, Jirachi suddenly rushed in with a glowing head, slamming into its opponent and sending it flying back.

Before Rosa could react to this, a white light appeared above Jirachi, healing the Wish Pokemon's injuries.

_'Damn, no wonder this guy's one of the best. I expected special attacks, not physical attacks. He's really got me on the ropes here,' _she thought to herself, caught off guard by her opponent's techniques. "Keldeo, try a Hydro Pump!" she called. Keldeo tried to charge up water within its body, but the power of the Zen Headbutt scared it into temporary submission.

"Ugh, Zen Headbutt's flinch rate," she muttered.

"To be fair, Jirachi has the Serene Grace ability. It doubles the rate of secondary effects occurring. Now, end this with Psychic!" he declared, seeking to end the match with a victory. Jirachi smirked, before sending a large pulse of purple energy at its opponent. Keldeo seemed to whinny in pain as it suffered under the super-effective attack. It was barely able to stand up.

Suddenly, as Keldeo reeled, a ball of purple energy appeared before the Sacred Swordsman. It stared at the ball, before getting slammed by the attack. Keldeo's legs quivered in exhaustion, and it folded.

"Keldeo is unable to battle. The winner is Jirachi, and the victory goes to Max of Petalburg City!" Tory announced.

"That was amazing, Jirachi! You did great!" Max cheered, holding his Legendary Pokemon in his arms. Jirachi grinned widely, having enjoyed the battle.

** "Thanks! That was a lot of fun, much more than our other opponents gave," **Jirachi responded happily as it returned to its Pokeball.

"Keldeo, great effort. Though you were in a bad situation type-wise, you fought to the very end. Thanks," Rosa said warmly as she treated and embraced her Pokemon, who smiled before returning to its own Pokeball. The two Trainers shook hands.

"Impressive job, you two," Isaac and Tory congratulated as they walked over, along with Max's and Rosa's Pokemon.

"Thanks," the two battling Trainers said simultaneously, and glanced at each other. Max grinned and shrugged, while Rosa blushed slightly. They applied Full Restores to their Pokemon and thanked them for all of their effort, before returning them to their Pokeballs.

"We gonna get drinks now?" the Hoenn Champion asked his opponent.

"Sure."

"Okay everyone, you know what to do!"

Ash was training his Pokemon in a grassy field, where they could fight without causing a disturbance. His team for the tournament consisted of Snorlax, Sceptile, a Zoroark that he had caught in Unova, Mewtwo, and Ho-oh. The Genetics Pokemon wanted to help the human become a Pokemon Master after what had happened to him. Mewtwo knew how it felt to be betrayed, and Ash was one of the few who was kind to him. Ho-oh had blessed Ash's journey at the very beginning, and had made good on that blessing by joining his team.

His team cheered in determination, before sparring against one another. Mewtwo and Ho-oh flew up to fight, so that the energy would not disrupt anyone else. Suddenly, Isaac was visible, watching the scene.

"Nice team, there. Where's Cynthia?" the Orre Trainer commented.

Ash smiled. "Thanks, these are my strongest team members. Cynthia's off training in the mountains. Why?"

Isaac shrugged. "I've got a Tyranitar that she might be able to help me train. We're trying to work on our Earthquake, but it's not quite up to scratch yet."

"I can help with that."

"Really?" the peach-haired Trainer said. "Then I could use a little help." He sent out his Tyranitar, who came out with a massive roar.

"Snorlax, could you come over here for a moment?" Ash called. The Sleeping Pokemon lumbered over.

"Could you show Tyranitar how to do an Earthquake?" he asked. "I'll give you some Custap Berries."

Snorlax looked eager to teach the move with the promise of food. It waved Tyranitar over to a different part of the field, where they began training.

"So, what kinda Pokemon do you have?" the Kanto Champion inquired.

"You've already seen Tyranitar," Isaac responded. "I've also got a Electivire, Gliscor, Feraligatr, Machamp, and Raikou."

Ash's eyebrows rose. "Nice lineup. You wanna go see what Max and Tory are doing?"

"Tory's off training by himself. Max is in town, with Rosa."

"Really? Cool, looks like he's finally getting a girlfriend."

Ten minutes after leaving the villa, the couple (?) was sipping cappuccinos at the local coffeehouse.

"Mmh, these are pretty good," Rosa said happily as she finished her cup. Max nodded in agreement, still occupied with his. When he finished, they started talking.

"So, exactly how old are you? The media's probably got it wrong, because they said you were thirteen," she asked.

The Champion rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Actually, I'm fifteen."

"Same here!" she gasped happily.

"Really?" he asked, interested. "Cool! Anyway, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Hmm, good question," Rosa mused. "I do a lot of acting for movie, reading, playing tennis, and a bit of tae kwon do."

"Nice! I like baseball, I swim a little, read a lot of novels, but mostly I do some sort of martial art that my Lucario taught me. I dunno what it's called, but it works wonders," he responded.

The Unova Trainer stretched and gave a relaxed smile. "You know, it's been a while since I've had the time to just relax and get to know someone," she said sweetly, looking at Max. He was flustered, but didn't show it. Much.

"Same here. Being a Champion's cool and everything, but lately I've seen why she hates most of her job. The battling's cool, and the paychecks are awesome, but the obsessed fans really aren't," he groaned. "Isaac's posse chased us from one end of town to another, and we had to sprint to our villa. His group of fans was smaller than mine!"

Rosa giggled. "Well, at least the title earned you a spot here, and we're here talking to one another because of that."

"True, true. Yet another positive to add to the list," he commented, grinning. Before either of them could continue, they heard a rough voice.

"Hey, girlie. Wanna ditch the loser and get to know a real man?"

The two of them stood up and turned towards the owner of the voice. The person was a large gangster, with a Gyarados tattoo, a thick leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a gold tooth. Thick bronze knuckles sat on his fingers, slightly beaten from past use. Rosa glared at him, wondering what his problem was.

Max smirked. "Then go find one." The crowd, including Rosa, laughed at this insult. The man turned red.

"You've got a lot of nerve picking a fight with me," he growled. "Get lost before I gotta kick your ass!" He sent out a Scrafty, which growled menacingly at the young Trainer. The pair of them were infamous in Undella Town for being mugging many people and never getting caught by the police. Some of the spectators backed away in fright. Max watched the scene unfold with a bemused smile, as if he was enjoying the display of intimidation.

"Some 'real man' you are, sending out a Pokemon to do your dirty work. And who said anything about me starting a fight? You called me a loser," he taunted, still relaxed. To Rosa, he murmured, "I got this. Stay behind me and don't worry." She nodded, confident that Max would protect her.

"Scrafty, put that punk in his place! Crunch!" the gangster yelled. The Pokemon nodded, lunging at Max with glowing fangs.

"Nothing personal, Scrafty. Just business," Max called, quickly tossing up a Pokeball. His very first Pokemon, Swampert, hit Scrafty with a Hammer Arm, knocking it towards its Trainer's head. Both slid to the floor, unconscious.

Before anyone could react, someone outside shouted, "He knocked the Boss out! Let's get him!" A whole gang of the man's cronies rushed into the coffeehouse, glaring and holding various weapons. Suddenly, a massive icicle crashed in front of them.

Rosa had sent out her Cloyster and silently ordered an Icicle Spear. "Strike one," she snapped. "Get out of here! NOW!" The gang complied, running as fast as they could in the opposite direction.

The whole coffeehouse was silent, and then erupted into cheers. A waiter ran up to them, thankfulness in his eyes.

"Thank you so much for driving them away!" he cried. "They've plagued our little coffeehouse and scared our customers for so long! If there is anything you can ask of us, name it and we will fulfill your wish!"

The Trainers shook their heads. "Thanks, but we didn't do this for rewards. We did it to right a wrong. Right?" Rosa said.

"Right! It would've been wrong for us to ignore them. Besides, he was hitting on Rosa!" he responded protectively. She giggled and smiled at him.

Rosa turned towards Max and stepped up in front of him, puzzling the Champion. Then she kissed him on the lips, arms wrapped around him. To the Trainer, it was like he had entered paradise. At that moment, he felt like the luckiest person on the planet.

It lasted several moments before she broke contact. "Thanks for protecting me back there," she said sweetly. The crowd let out an "aww" at the cute scene.

For one, Max's mind failed him, leaving him unable to react. His face practically glowed red, yet he still had an awestruck look on his face. It was a moment before he could respond. "No problem," he managed to get out. "We an official couple now?"

Rosa nodded. "Yep!" she responded happily, before kissing him again. This time, Max kissed back with vigor. Both Trainers' arms wrapped around one another, savoring the moment. A particularly mischievous employee walked up to them.

"You know, you can borrow an empty storage room if you want," he said, winking. The couple separated in an instant.

"No thanks! We're good!" they yelped, before running out of the coffeehouse. Everyone burst into laughter one more time, before resuming business as usual. No one remembered the gangster, who had recalled his Scrafty and fled, swearing to change his ways, lest something like that happen again.

_**A/N: Okay, that wraps up Chapter 6! Max has a girlfriend! !**_

_**The teams are:**_

_**Max- Swampert, Gallade, Lucario, Umbreon, Hydreigon, Jirachi.**_

_**Isaac- Feraligatr, Electivire, Tyranitar, Gliscor, Machamp, Raikou.**_

_**Ash- Pikachu, Sceptile, Zoroark, Snorlax, Mewtwo, Ho-oh.**_

_**Rosa- Serperior, Escavalier, Gallade, Cloyster, Bisharp, Keldeo.**_

_**Cynthia- (Pokemon Platinum team).**_

_**Tory- (Next chapter. Didn't want to stuff in too much. Sorry!)**_

_**Anyway, sorry about not uploading yesterday. I was too busy studying for my bio test coming up (along with a reading comprehension for "Much Ado About Nothing").**_

_**Well, stay tuned for more! Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: Training with a Champion**_

_**A/N: Nothing, really.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"

Cynthia and her Pokemon were training on a cliff nearby Undella Town in preparation for the tournament. At the moment, she was working on her Garchomp's accuracy and speed by improving Dragon Rush. The attack was powerful, but some opponents had dodged it and struck the Pokemon with a powerful attack, and at other times Dragon Rush just missed. Suddenly, a voice interrupted her training.

"Hey, how's it going?"

Cynthia smiled and turned towards the voice. It was none other than Tory, one of her protégés, who had flown to her training spot on a Salamence. He stepped off his Pokemon, thanking it, and walked towards her.

"Good, but how'd you know where to find me?" she responded, a note of surprise in her voice.

Tory shrugged. "I figured that you'd want to train in private, so the town's dojo was no good. Sorry about intruding by the way. The forest wouldn't have worked. The beaches would have had you swarmed by fans. Where else? The mountains," he summarized.

"Impressive. Oh, and don't worry about intruding. I needed a sparring partner anyway. You interested?"

Tory smirked. "Definitely. Two on two?" To Cynthia's right, the dragons growled at each other, both showcasing their power and spirit.

"Sure," she responded, both Trainers walking back to give room for their fighting Pokemon.

"Salamence, you ready to fight?" Tory asked his Dragon-type. Salamence nodded and roared towards the sky. Likewise, Cynthia asked the same to her Garchomp, who mimicked Salamence's actions.

"We'll lead. Salamence, Dragon Dance, then Outrage!" Tory commanded. Salamence glowed and danced in midair, and lunged at its opponent with near-crazed eyes.

"Garchomp, Protect and Swords Dance!" Cynthia suddenly called. Tory's eyes widened, not knowing that she had given the move to Garchomp for just a scenario. A green barrier appeared around Garchomp, shielding it from attacks. Salamence slammed into the barrier, shaking it and forcing both Dragons to retreat several paces. As this occurred, the Land Shark Pokemon danced with glowing claws, indicating the increase in power.

"Now, Dragon Rush!" the Sinnoh Champion said, hoping that the attack would be sufficient to stop Salamence's rampage. Garchomp complied, coating itself in blue energy before flying towards its charging opponent. The two attacks met with a massive explosion, nearly sending some rocks tumbling down the cliff. When the smoke cleared, both dragons were nearing collapse. Their legs were visibly shaking as they stood, their breathing was short and ragged, yet neither would surrender to the other until they collapsed. Such was the pride of the Dragon-types. Their Trainers looked on worriedly, yet they did not interfere. They knew this was a matter of pride. Suddenly, Salamence groaned and collapsed from exhaustion, eyes mournful with its defeat. It knew that Garchomp was its senior in experience and power, yet the flying Dragon wanted to win at least once against it. And such a fast defeat, too…

Tory ran to his fallen Pokemon with a Full Restore in hand, eyes sympathetic. He knew of the rivalry between his dragon and his teacher's dragon, and he also strived to win against Garchomp with Salamence. "It's okay, we'll get them next time. Look, Garchomp's about to collapse, too," he murmured, stroking his fallen teammate's neck. As if on cue, Garchomp's legs folded, and the Land Shark Pokemon fell.

"See? Don't worry. We're so close. Just a bit more training and we'll make our goal," the Johto Champion reassured Salamence, treating its wounds and giving it a hug of appreciation.

Salamence let out a low growl, indicating its thanks for the medicine and kind words. Cynthia smiled again at the sight of the bond between Trainer and Pokemon.

Tory recalled Salamence and stood up. "Wow, that was pretty fast," he commented with a grin. "Let's try to make this one more… challenging for our Pokemon. Metagross, show them your power!" The Iron Leg Pokemon landed with a massive thud and a bellow of challenge.

"Wow, two of your strongest Pokemon in a two-on-two? I'm honored, and I'll do the same," Tory's opponent said serenely. "Milotic, battle dance!" The Water-type slithered gracefully on the ground, letting out a soft screech.

"This time, I'll take the lead. Milotic, Scald!" The Water-type sent a stream of boiling water at its Steel-type opponent.

"Let's show her the fruits of our training. Metagross, Thunderpunch and Meteor Mash!" the Johto Champion commanded. Metagross complied, coating a fist in crackling and silver energy, going right through the water before landing a powerful blow on its opponent. Milotic cried out in pain, from both the electricity and the combined physical blows. Suddenly, Cynthia noticed a silver glow around Metagross, indicating that Meteor Mash had increased the Pokemon's offensive power.

_'This isn't good… Milotic can't take physical hits of that caliber well, and with the boost…' _"Use Rest!" she called. Milotic closed its eyes and lied down on the ground, healing its injuries and boosting its physical defenses thanks to Marvel Scale.

Tory felt an eyebrow twitch. Every time it did that, it would take ages for Milotic to fall. "Blitz Quake!" he yelled. Metagross charged a Thunderpunch, before slamming into the ground with an Earthquake, sending a shockwave of earth and electricity. The impact struck Milotic for serious damage.

"Sleep Talk!" The Water-type murmured in its sleep, before sending a stream of boiling water at its opponent. The blow landed, and Metagross roared in pain. Steam rose off of its body, and Tory noticed some red spots.

_'Crap, there's a burn. On top of that, the attack HURT. Gotta end this fast.' _Then both Tory and his Pokemon smirked, confusing their opponent. _'Time for a little surprise.'_

"Metagross, Grass Knot!" The Steel type smirked at the Sinnoh Champion's surprise, before sending a web of grass ropes towards its opponent. Milotic screamed in pain from the constriction, before waking up.

"Shall we end this now?" Cynthia inquired. Tory nodded, before both of them gave their final commands.

"Milotic, Hydro Pump!"

"Metagross, hang in there! Elemental Meteor!"

The Water-type charged incredible amounts of water in its body, before spewing it out in a pressurized stream. The Steel-type charged red, yellow, blue, and silver energies into its right leg, before lunging with the mighty attack. Though it was weakened by the burn, Metagross managed to wield the attack at nearly full power.

The two attacks collided in a massive blast, sending water droplets and smoke rushing out in all directions. When everything cleared up, Milotic was shown to have remained conscious, though not by much. It was breathing shallowly, and tremors wracked its sleek body. Metagross, on the other hand, had collapsed in the blast, and lay still on the ground.

Tory sighed. Even after everything they had gone through, he still couldn't beat Cynthia. _'I came pretty damn close, though,' _he thought with a rueful grin. His mentor noticed this, and walked up to comfort her protégé.

"Don't worry about it, just learn from it and let it go. Our experience levels are way different, yet you took down Garchomp and nearly brought down Milotic. I'm especially impressed by your combos, and you showed extreme power and intelligence the whole way through. Don't be harsh on yourself," she reassured him gently, pulling him into her arms. One thing she noticed while training Max and Tory was that they were rather harsh on their own failures, but never blaming their Pokemon. Rather, they always saw some sort of fault in their concentration, decisiveness, or some other trait that they had. Perhaps it was their drive to become stronger, or the betrayal at Pallet.

Tory smiled and returned the hug. "Thanks," he whispered. "But what if I can't beat the traitors? After everything they did to us…"

"What are you talking about?" Cynthia said, looking him in the eye. "You're one of the toughest Trainers in the world. You tie for second in the ENTIRE world with Max, according to the ratings. On top of that, no one who betrayed you guys could even take down Spiritomb, my weakest in power. Had this been a full battle, you might even have won. So please, don't take it out on yourself, okay?" She smiled warmly at him, and the silver-haired Trainer felt himself relax. He nodded, and they healed their Pokemon. Talking with Cynthia was better than any therapy sessions.

When they flew back to the villa on Cynthia's Togekiss and walked in, they saw a sight that nearly made Tory's jaw drop. Max and Rosa were arm-in-arm, watching television together. During the commercials, they would sneak in an occasional kiss together.

"Whoa, did Max, our Max, really get a girlfriend?" Tory whispered, not wanting to disturb the couple.

"Yep, seems so," the blonde Trainer responded, chuckling at the cute sight. The two Champions tiptoed out to the back, careful not to make too much noise.

When they stepped into the backyard of the villa, they saw Paul training alone. He had brought Torterra, Ursaring, Honchkrow, Electivire, Drapion, and Magmortar for the tournament. It seemed he was almost done, since all but Paul's starter were resting, watching the last segment of the training regime.

"Torterra, maintain a Leaf Storm for as long as you can," Paul said. Torterra's tree glowed, before it sent a blast of leaves up to the air. The Starter was able to keep the attack up for half a minute, before it flagged out.

"Very good, that's a new record," he said, rubbing Torterra's head. The starter gave a growl of appreciation. "Nicely done. Okay, training's over for the day. Go relax, get a snack, something." Paul's team cheered, before dispersing.

As he dismissed his team, he noticed the presence of the two Trainers. "Yeah?" he asked roughly but not unkindly.

"You've really improved your relationships with your Pokemon," Cynthia said approvingly. "It's good to see."

Paul shrugged. "Ever since I lost to Ash, I tried to follow his example with how he treats his Pokemon, along with my own style of training. I'm quite satisfied with the results, especially with Torterra's growth."

"Yeah, that was the longest Leaf Storm I've ever seen. Half a minute? Impressive," the Johto Champion commented. Then he remembered something he wanted to ask, but not to Ash. Fortunately, he had left a note earlier saying that he was at the ocean training. Everyone secretly doubted this.

"Say, why did those traitors want to bunk with us? Well, we all know why Brock wanted to, but why everyone else?" Tory inquired. This made Paul and Cynthia think for a moment.

"I guess it's because since Ash and Cynthia are the top favorites to win, no offense, they want to see what kind of training they do," Paul guessed.

"None taken," Tory replied. "And I think you're right."

"My biggest concern is how Max will react if he has to battle his father," the blonde Trainer mused. "I mean, we all know how it'll end skill-wise, but what will take place emotionally?" Everyone was silent, not knowing the answer.

"I guess we'll just have to help him through it, if he feels bad because of that encounter," Tory said at last.

"Cliché, but to the point. I can't see any other legal solution," the Veilstone Trainer commented, earning a slight chuckle from everyone else. "So, back inside and join the lovebirds?"

The other two Trainers shrugged. "Sure."

Little did they know that, from the moment Cynthia and Tory returned to the villa, they were being stalked. A figure watched them, silent as a shadow for fear of detection. "Well, looks like I'll be getting my prize soon enough," the figure said, getting up and departing.

_**A/N: Well, shortest chapter so far.**_

_**Sorry about not updating yesterday, but I had writer's block. Post ideas for the story, cuz I'd appreciate it.**_

_**And if the quality sucks today, sorry.**_

_**Well, read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Showdown in Undella Town**_

_**A/N: Thank you for not losing hope in the story. Sorry about not updating in 2 days, but this chapter is my current longest.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Max chuckled when Ash walked back into the villa, a relaxed smile on his face. "Hey, how was your day at the beach?" he commented, smirking.

"Good, we got a lot of training done," Ash replied with an otherwise straight face.

Paul snorted. "Please, even I can tell you were just lazing around at the beach." Everyone but Rosa and Isaac nodded. They just looked confused. Ash appeared to be an extremely serious and responsible person to them, and the idea of him slacking off of training and going to the beach seemed odd to them.

"Fine," the Kanto Champion sighed sheepishly. "We did enjoy ourselves at the beach, but we DID work on our swimming and… stuff..." This made everyone burst into laughter, especially May. _'He really hasn't changed that much,' _she thought, still giggling.

Everyone was still chuckling when Tory suddenly sat up, alert. Max looked at his friend in confusion, but the Johto Champion motioned for everyone to stay put. He walked slowly up to the kitchen window, and had to duck as a rock went through it. Glass scattered everywhere, and Tory backed up quickly. May screamed, Rosa gasped, Paul's head turned towards the noise, and everyone else tensed up.

"What the hell?! Gliscor, help us out!" Isaac yelped, sending out his Gliscor to do some scouting. The Fang Scorpion came out silently, apparently aware of the stress in the house. The Orre Trainer went up to his Pokemon.

"Listen, someone just chucked a rock at our villa," he whispered. "Can you exit out the back window and see who it was?" His Pokemon nodded, before gliding off, opening the window, and taking off into the night sky. Max had dashed to Rosa, who was trembling slightly in worry of what would happen. While he comforted her, Cynthia looked at the rock. It was an almost perfect sphere, and slightly shiny to boot.

"This isn't an ordinary rock. It was thrown by a Pokemon, probably with Rock Throw," she muttered to Ash, not wanting to cause further panic. Another crash resonated through the house as a second rock went through it.

"Everyone upstairs, quick!" Ash said firmly, wanting to avoid any injuries. The others nodded and ran up the stairs, with the exception of Cynthia and Isaac.

"I'll wait with you, dear," the blonde Trainer muttered, holding his arm. Ash smiled gratefully.

"I've gotta wait for Gliscor," the other Trainer said. As if on cue, the Pokemon glided back in, closing the window, nursing an injured tail and bruised wings.

"Gliscor!" Isaac yelled. "What happened?!" The Fang Scorpion Pokemon groaned and held its tail. Upon closer examination, the tail looked like it had been stabbed and covered in poison.

"Get a Full Restore, would you?" Ash asked quietly. Cynthia nodded and ran to her bag to get the medicine. In the meantime, the peach-haired Trainer was asking his Pokemon about who it was.

"Can you describe him or her for me?" he asked. Gliscor gave several grunts, occasionally interrupted by a groan of pain, describing the individual and their Pokemon.

Isaac nodded. "Thanks, buddy," he said, holding his Pokemon's claws as the Sinnoh Champion treated the injuries. When the tail was healed, Isaac recalled his Pokemon before turning to the other two Trainers.

"According to Gliscor," he began, "it wasn't easy to see the person. When he went in for a closer look, he definitely saw a tanned male and a Golem, before being attacked by a Toxicroak. Gliscor's not easy to ambush, and he's even harder to beat. Who could have done this, and why?" The other two Trainers shrugged and gave sympathetic looks.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Cynthia said gently. "This couldn't have been a good experience for either of you, and you need your sleep." Isaac nodded and silently walked upstairs. When they heard the door close, they looked at each other worriedly.

"It has to be him, but why would he do this?" he muttered.

"Me, I'd bet," she replied quietly, glaring at the broken windows. "You know how he acted in front of me. I think I actually would have been raped if you hadn't been there." She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, looking for and giving support. He hugged her and rested his head on hers, and they stayed like this for several minutes before Ash yawned.

"Come on, let's get some rest," he said sleepily. Cynthia nodded, and they went to Ash's room. By unspoken consent, they agreed that sleeping together would be safer, and it seemed like the others had the same idea. Max slept on the couch in his room, while Rosa rested on his bed. Likewise, Paul, Tory, May, and Isaac had gathered in Isaac's room, sleeping in different parts of the room. The only two who were awake chuckled, before sharing a small kiss and walking into the room, closing the door behind them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the shadows, the person who had the Golem and Toxicroak grinned to himself. "Step one is complete," he muttered to himself. "Now to follow them during the day."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

When daybreak rose, Ash awoke to find the bed empty. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed a note on the pillow. It said, _"Going down to breakfast. Wake up soon!" _The Kanto Champion smiled, before getting dressed and heading downstairs to the sound of sizzling food.

"Good morning," the two youngest members said cheerfully, clearly intending to try and get everyone to relax. As Ash looked towards the stove, he noticed it was Paul flipping the pancakes. May was getting the fruits and the syrup from the fridge, and the table was already set with utensils and cups of milk by someone. Isaac and May were discussing something, Rosa and Max were admiring each other, Tory watched with a bored expression, and Cynthia sat just sat at the table with a relaxed smile.

"Mmh, that smells great! Thanks, Paul!" Ash said happily, already impatient to eat. Paul gave a small, rough smile (which still stunned Ash), before filling the plates with pancakes.

"Sweet! Thanks!" the others cheered, before everyone helped themselves to the food.

When breakfast was over, they put the plates in the sink and Isaac ran some water underneath the dishes. When everything was soaking in water, they left it to make the food easier to clean off. After this was done, they began discussing what to do about the previous night.

"Hey Cynthia, did you call the repair company for the windows?" Ash asked. Cynthia nodded.

"What are we gonna do? It has to have been Brock who did it, but we have no evidence," Tory said worriedly.

Paul shrugged. "Sadly, we can't exactly kidnap him and force him to confess. We'd all get arrested for that."

"Maybe he's just trying to scare us," Isaac replied. "I mean, maybe he thinks that by intimidating us, we'll stay in the house, too worried to even go outside and train."

"I wish," groaned Max. "He's probably gonna try to kidnap the girls in this villa or something."

"I say," May put in, "that we all stay together and go to town. If he's planning something, then we can all confront him. Most of us know what he's like around girls, so maybe we can set an ambush?"

"That's actually a pretty good idea," Cynthia said approvingly. "Problem is, who's going to be the bait? If I'm right, he has no interest in you, May." This made everyone stop and think.

"You and me, then?" Rosa asked the Sinnoh Champion. Next to her, Max looked worried.

"Hold on," he interrupted. "Are you sure you wanna go through with this?"

Rosa thought, then nodded. "Yeah, if it means stopping this pervert once and for all." Cynthia nodded in agreement, before everyone looked at Ash for the final decision.

"All right, we'll go through with it. Cynthia, if you and Rosa can get him to approach you, we'll take care of the rest," he sighed. The others nodded and prepared to leave. _'Maybe we can get some revenge on the other traitors, too,' _he thought darkly.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

In Undella Town, said traitors were walking down a street, shopping for supplies and (for Misty) new clothes.

"Hmm, I wonder where I could get some info on the native Pokemon," Professor Oak mused as he browsed the bookshops. When Ash had been driven out of Pallet, like the others who had just hated him for being a "failure", the Professor didn't really think he was a criminal. When the case was brought to the police to have Ash arrested, they said that the evidence was too circumstantial to make an arrest. Oak was relieved when he heard this because he wouldn't have to testify against the one who had beaten his grandson, and eventually forgot about the Trainer who he had given the Pikachu to.

Tracey sighed. "Professor, can't you just take a break from collecting Pokemon data?" As he saw Ash being driven from his hometown, Tracey stood with the crowd. As he thought about it, he occasionally wondered if his decision was right, but always ignored the slight feelings of unease.

Gary nodded. "He's right, Gramps. Take a break." He had decided to go with the others to see if he could challenge one of those he betrayed to a battle and shame them into leaving. _'If I can do that, it'll mean fewer crappy Trainers at the World Tournament,' _he chuckled to himself. Looking around, he saw that Brock was pursuing girls all over the place, always being rejected. Gary also saw Trip and Misty looking around in a clothes store, most likely for Misty's benefit.

"Ooh, look at that outfit! And that one! Can we get them all?" the Cerulean City Gym Leader squealed at the sight of the clothes.

Trip sighed; this would cost a lot of money. Still, Misty had a terrible temper, and he wasn't in the mood to fight. "Fine, we'll get them." At the sound of the words, she packed the clothes into bags and handed them to her boyfriend, who struggled under the weight. As she looked outside, she saw a face that she wanted to punch very badly. It was none other than Max, who was walking around with the others in his group.

"Trip, I've got business to take care of. Bring the outfits home, 'kay?" she said sweetly. The Unovan Trainer nodded, struggling too much to speak. Misty kissed his cheek in thanks before leaving the store to confront the Trainers.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Paul was silent and looking around, Isaac was trying (and failing) to start a conversation with the Sinnoh Trainer, Tory led the group, Max was at the back, the girls were talking in the middle of the group, and Ash was musing his revenge. _'Now, how am I gonna do this? I'd rather not get everyone else involved, especially Max and Tory. A straight confrontation could work, but those traitors deserve worse…' _His thoughts were interrupted by Max's yell of pain, making everyone turn back. They saw a hateful Misty holding her mallet, which she had clearly brought down with full force on the Hoenn Champion's head. Said Trainer held his head and stumbled back, surprised, before turning around and glaring at his attacker.

"What the hell was that for?!" he snapped, still in pain from the hard mallet crashing into his head. A lump was actually visible on the back of his head, making Tory and Isaac wince. Upon seeing it, Rosa glared and stormed towards Misty before being held back by Isaac. Next to them, May was being suppressed by Tory and Ash.

"We don't wanna get in trouble for assault," Isaac whispered. "Let Max take care of this." The two girls nodded and waited to see what would happen.

"For making a fool out of me at our last battle!" she screamed. Paul rolled his eyes and stepped up.

"Sheesh, get over it. You lost to him, big surprise. Seriously, is that a reason to try and break someone's head open?" he said sarcastically. This made Misty even angrier, and she pointed her mallet at him.

"He only won because he got lucky!" she yelled. "If Gyarados hadn't been tired, then that Umbreon would have collapsed!"

"To be frank, a Giga Impact from your Gyarados wouldn't have brought my Umbreon down," Max growled, still holding his head. May and Rosa glared with hatred at the Water-type Trainer, and Cynthia rubbed the injury to alleviate the pain.

"Hah! If Trip and I were teamed up, we'd beat any partnership down!"

"Is that so? Then why don't we put that to the test?" the Sinnoh Champion said angrily, furious that someone had hurt one of her protégés. "Me and Max against you and your boyfriend, one Pokemon per person. Let's see who wins."

Misty smirked, apparently confident that she could win with her boyfriend at her side. "Fine," she said, and walked towards the store to get Trip. After she left, the two challengers quickly discussed their Pokemon.

"Swampert and Garchomp?" the Hoenn Champion mused.

His battle partner shrugged. "Sure."

"Hey, you need any ice for that? That's gotta hurt," Tory asked in concern, looking at the welt where the mallet had landed. Max nodded, and the Johto Champion sent out a Walrein. Noticing the injury, the Pokemon knew what its Trainer wanted to happen and used a weakened Ice Beam to make an ice pack.

"Thanks," he said to his Pokemon, handing the ice to his friend. Walrein grinned, before returning to its Pokeball. Rosa kept a hand on the ice pack and pressed it on her boyfriend's head so that Max would be free from having to hold it. As everyone walked to the beach for the battle, May walked up next to Cynthia.

"Thanks for doing this. I would, but I'm not sure I could beat a Unovan Champion," she whispered.

Rosa nodded. "Yeah, really. Kick their asses hard for us, okay? Max SO did not deserve to get his head smashed like that."

"No problem," the other Trainer whispered back. "Leave this to us."

When both battling parties stood on opposite sides of a makeshift battlefield, no one bothered to referee, preferring to just watch the match. _'Why are Max and Cynthia bothering with this? Seriously, this isn't even funny, how quick it'll be over,' _Tory thought to himself.

"Garchomp, battle dance!

"Swampert, let's show them what we're made of!"

"Serperior, let's get this over with!"

"Starmie, go!"

The four Pokemon stood in front of their Trainers, ready to fight. Swampert and Garchomp roared, Serperior screeched, and Starmie stood there silently.

Trip was the first to make a command. "Serperior, Leaf Blade on Swampert!" The Grass-type starter lunged at the Water-type with a glowing tail.

"My my, how predictable," Max said, shaking his head. "Swampert, Avalance and Rock Slide!" In the sidelines, Tory chuckled. He and his Walrein had taught Swampert to perfect Avalanche for uses like this. It had taken a lot of time, but the results were well worth it.

Before Serperior could react and back away, a massive pile of ice and rock slammed into it, only leaving the tail sticking out. Said tail lost its glow and fell to the ground, indicating a knocked-out Pokemon. The Unovan Champion sighed and recalled his fallen starter. Next to Max, Rosa stared in wonder at the Hoenn Champion's power.

Misty stared at the scene, not believing that Trip's starter had fallen so quickly. "Starmie, Blizzard!" she yelled, hoping to make up for lost ground. The Water-type Pokemon obliged, sending a blast of freezing wind at the opposing team. Suddenly, Max issued a command that Trip and Misty did not expect.

"Wide Guard!" Swampert stuck its arms to the side, forming a barrier around Garchomp and itself. This spared the two from the attack, and gave the Dragon-type time to attack. Time that Cynthia took advantage of.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!" she ordered, wanting to end the battle quickly. The Land Shark Pokemon roared, before coating itself in blue energy and slamming into its lone opponent, kicking up a massive plume of sand. When it cleared, a Starmie lay on the ground, light blinking in surrender.

"Aw man, how could we have lost?" Trip moaned, glaring at his opponents. Max and Cynthia grinned at each other, having already guessed the outcome.

"Wow, your Pokemon are so strong! How did you get that powerful?" Rosa asked, hugging Max and deciding that she wanted to take the title of Champion from Trip.

Max shrugged, returning the hug. "Betrayal, an insane drive to get stronger, and the best teachers," he commented, making Ash and Cynthia blush slightly. To the side, Tory nodded before he and the rest of the group walked towards the winners. Rosa was curious about the "betrayal" part, but decided to leave the explanations up to Max.

Leaving the defeated pair and their group behind, Ash and his company headed towards town, planning on getting something to drink in celebration. As they headed to the nearest coffeehouse, Cynthia felt someone breathing on her neck and heard a voice. "Hey, sexy…"

_**A/N: Another cliffhanger! (Though this one shouldn't be too difficult to assume what'll happen.)**_

_**VERY sorry about not updating for 2 days, but I had SAT Bio studying to do, and I took it today. Also, after the last chapter, I wanted to put as much effort as possible into this. You guys deserve the best stories, after all. Right?**_

_**I should be updating at least once every three days, so don't lose hope!**_

_**Well, read, review, post ideas that you want, and I'll see you next time. Thank you for your patience!**_

_**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Revelations and Memories, Part 1**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Be sure to read the A/N at the end, even though you may not want to.**

**Enjoy!**

_As the mysterious man looked down at the scene, he chuckled. "Looks like he could be useful for our operations, if I can get him out of there. Picking up a phone, he said, "This is Leader. Subject C-1 may well be useful for our needs. Pick him up discreetly. Perhaps while disguised as police officers? Just make it discreet!" _

_. . . . . . . . . . . . ._

Leaving the defeated pair and their group behind, Ash and his company headed towards town, planning on getting something to drink in celebration. As they headed to the nearest coffeehouse, Cynthia felt someone breathing on her neck and heard a voice. "Hey, sexy…"

Cynthia quickly twisted to attack her assailant, but she was too slow. Suddenly, she was stuck in a headlock and her right arm was pinned behind her back, barely able to breathe enough and unable to move. Her assailant was a large man with a hockey mask on his face, dressed in black jeans and a trench coat.

"Whoa, Cynthia!" Ash yelled, making everyone else turn towards the commotion. Ash's trusty Pikachu glared, sending sparks from its cheeks. Then he noticed who the man was holding captive, and stopped charging electricity. The Sinnoh Champion struggled and clawed against her captor's grip, leaving several deep gashes, yet she could not escape. Before anyone could make a grab for a Pokeball, the kidnapper pulled a knife and held it at his captive's throat, making her stop suddenly.

"Don't even try. Do I need to say what'll happen otherwise?" he snarled in a guttural voice. The group stopped, but remained tense.

"Come on, dude. Just what do you want from us?" Isaac asked, taking the diplomatic route and guessing the answer. _'This could be really tricky.'_

"Ain't it obvious? I want her, and if I can't get her, no one does!" Ash's sight turned red at this, and prepared to lunge, but Paul stopped him.

"Ash, wait! He's got the upper hand right now, and we all know it!" he hissed. "We've gotta bide our time and wait for an opening!" Seeing his former rival's angry face, he added, "I know, and I'd love to tear out this guy's throat, too. But he's got Cynthia captive, with a knife at her throat! What do you propose we do?!"

The Kanto Champion's mind went into overdrive as he considered his options. One, he could reveal his _powers _and rescue his girlfriend. But he didn't want to ruin that surprise yet unless he had no choice. Two, he could send out a Pokémon, possibly Mewtwo, to do the job. But it might not be fast enough. Three, he could try to bluff the man or bribe him. But that wasn't likely to work. Or four…

Ash's angry and worried face suddenly cleared, much to the confusion of everyone. He started muttering something quietly, something that was clearly not English or any other language they knew.

"What the hell are you muttering?" the man growled, apprehensive about the results. Suddenly, he felt a finger tap his shoulder. The man shuddered, and turned slowly. Without a moment's warning, a small yet powerful energy-coated head slammed into his, making him drop his captive and his knife, while also knocking him out.

Looking at the Pokémon, the group noticed the V-shaped ears, the small red-and-orange body, and a look of determation on its face. The Pokémon that had done the deed was none other than the Victini that Ash had helped save from imprisonment. It had heard its friend's call for aid, and Victini had rushed to the scene to provide help.

The Sinnoh Champion got up shakily, looking thankfully at the small Fire-type and glaring at her kidnapper, before heading back to her friends. As she approached her boyfriend, he took her into his arms. Cynthia returned the hug with vigor, almost making Ash wince from what he felt like ribs cracking.

"Don't worry, everything's all right. Next guy who tries it won't get off so easy," he reassured her gently, brushing her hair with his hand. He felt her ragged breathing, and he knew she was suppressing her fear and tears. Even the most powerful Champions could still feel the dark emotions that haunted every being, fear being one of them. Suddenly, they heard the wail of a police car approach. As the car stopped, two uniformed men stepped out.

"We heard what happened. We'll take it from here," one said, picking up the unconscious kidnapper's limp form and dropping him into the back seat of the car. Giving a curt bow to the group, they re-entered the vehicle and drove off.

"Bunch of rude asses. Didn't even ask if she was alright," Paul muttered, relieved that his region's Champion wasn't injured and in slight disbelief at what Ash had done. What did he do to invoke the aid of a legendary Pokémon, one that would only appear in front of a human who had a pure soul? Turning towards Cynthia, he asked, "Are you all right?" She looked up and nodded, having regained her composure. Max and Tory sighed in relief, Isaac and the girls grinned, and even Paul smiled. The group relaxed, and they entered the coffeehouse to put that part of the past behind them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The masked man was dumped onto the floor of the office, his mask lifted. It was none other than Brock who had tried to kidnap the Sinnoh Champion. The man at the desk smiled.

"Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked, amused.

Brock sat up. "You? What are you doing here?" The Pewter City Gym Leader remembered that face. He remembered it clearly, several days before the tragedy in Pallet.

_**(Flashback)**_

_** Brock was tending to his Gym, cleaning off the pink painted rocks. He grumbled, wondering what could have made his dad agree to his mom's insane ideas of decorating. Suddenly, a door opened.**_

_** "Sorry, but the Gym's closed for renovation. How'd you get in here, anyway-" he said, then stopped. A thickly clothed man stood in the doorway, a large hood cloaking his face.**_

_** "Hello, Brock," the man said amicably. "Do not worry; I am not here for a Gym battle."**_

_** "Umm, okay? Then why ARE you here?" The hooded man chuckled.**_

_** "Because I have a proposition for you. Do you remember your "friend", Ash Ketchum?"**_

_** "Of course I do!" the Gym Leader exclaimed. "How could I forget him? What did you do to him?!"**_

_** "Nothing, just yet. However, I mean to change that. Still, that's not why I came here. I have a deal that I think would suit both our interests."**_

_** "And what would that be?" Brock was tense, unsure of the man's demands, and yet getting the feeling that he would like his end of the bargain.**_

_** "Do you ever feel overshadowed by him, always the cook or the referee? You've never found a girlfriend, yet Ash could have had twenty at the very least? Yet he was always so DENSE and STUPID! Look at the list: Anabel, Cynthia, Cheryl, and so many more. Any of these girls could have been his, yet he insisted on floundering around with baby Pokemon at Leagues, only to lose at the end! Wouldn't you want to have that many girls? To be able to have your way with them?" the man said, appealing to the Gym Leader's basic interests.**_

_** "Yeah… I guess…" The Gym Leader struggled against the visitor's words. 'Ash is your friend, for crying out loud!' But his baser instincts drove him on.**_

_** "Then hear me out, for this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Do not speak of this to anyone, or you may find your lifespan shorter than expected. Understand?"**_

_** "Yeah," Brock said nervously.**_

_** "Good, that's what I like to hear," the other man said appreciatively. "I plan on burning down Pallet Town in three days' time." Upon seeing the horrified look on the Gym Leader's face, he said hastily, "Now hold on. I do not mean to kill people, only to kill that Trainer's reputation. There are measures I have taken to minimize the casualties. I have rallied many others, other companions of his, against him. You are the last one I am offering a reward to. If you turn against him, drive him out of his hometown, make him SUFFER, then you shall get this in exchange." Upon finishing this statement, he pulled out a large briefcase, removing the lock on it with a key and opening the case up. Looking into it, Brock saw that the case was stuffed to the brim with hundred-dollar bills. The man removed each stack, showing the authentic bills to the Trainer. Each stack made Brock's jaw drop further to the ground, until it could open no more. The money was returned into the case.**_

_** "See? All authentic hundred-dollar bills, all yours. The sum comes out to one hundred million dollars. Can you imagine it?" he whispered.**_

_** "I'm in," Brock said immediately. Inside, he was in turmoil. 'What the hell are you doing, man? Kick his ass!' However, he wanted to be able to provide for his family easily, and get money to get girls for once in his life. Plus, the man didn't seem like the kind of person to be an enemy of.**_

_** "Very good," the other man said happily. "Now, here's what I want you to do…"**_

_**(End Flashback)**_

"I'm here to finish what I started five years ago in Pallet Town," he said, looking at the other man. "I have another proposition for you."

"And what would that be?" Brock asked, interested. The money had gone miles to help him. Getting his mother into a painting school and leaving his Gym alone, more funds for the town, keeping his family well cared for. Yet he never found a girl he wanted to be with, even with all of that money. Did they hear of his actions? Maybe so…

"There are several quite beautiful girls in Ketchum's villa, aren't there? Cynthia, Rosa, May. I've also gotten intel that at least one other means to rent a villa there. Also, quite the collection of Pokémon, some Legendaries, are there as well. Do you want them?"

"Sure, those Trainers are too powerful anyway. It would be good to kick them down several notches. Plus, why should those guys get all the hot girls?"

"I like the way you think. You'll get far among us," the other man said, relieved that the Gym Leader hadn't smartened up and set his priorities straight. "A simple proposition. Take this key and this device." He handed a black key and a strange wristwatch to the Trainer.

"Uhh, what do they do?" Brock asked, confused.

"It's a skeleton key, designed to be able to open up ANY villa in Undella Town. Your first assignment is to steal a Keldeo, using the device. It will silence your footsteps, with technology I can't be bothered to explain. Just press the button and no one will ever hear you coming. Also, hold it over a Pokeball to see its contents. Do NOT take any other Pokémon; we don't want to risk getting caught too soon. The reason why you are assigned to take the Keldeo is because its Trainer, Rosa, is not participating in any events for the opening ceremony tomorrow. Do this, and you may keep the key and the silencer for your own uses."

Brock smirked. "Mind if I take some other guys along? One could use some payback for a battle, and the other is one that you bribed too." He could already imagine the fun he would have with the key, and being able to silently enter people's buildings for some… perverted actions.

"But of course! The more, the merrier! Plus, it should make your assignment a little easier. Beware, however. I can't rescue you should you be caught. Today was a freebie, a gift."

"Understood. And thanks."

"It is no trouble. Think of it as payment for a job. Now get going!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So, what did you do?" May asked, curious about Victini's appearance. They were sitting in a private booth in the coffeeshop, having received their drinks for free. The waiters and the owner did not forget a debt easily, and had promised to provide the utmost luxury they could, and at no charge. Victini and Pikachu were catching up with each other's lives, and Victini's ears wilted slightly at the tale of the betrayal.

"Well, when we got backstabbed, you know how we went to Mt. Coronet?" Ash explained. Max and Tory nodded. "Well, one night, Arceus appeared before me in my dreams. He said that too much has happened to me to be ignored, which is true. He told me some sort of… poem or something that I could use to call upon basically any of the wild Legendaries for aid. To top it off, Arceus said that as a reward for you guys for sticking up for me in front of the entire damn crowd, one Legendary each that you knew and formed a bond with would join you. And that's how you woke up to find those odd Pokeballs."

"Ohhhh… So that's how it happened…" the two Champion said, grinning at the memory. When they saw Jirachi and a Deoxys emerge from the Pokeballs, they cheered and went off to enjoy the suddenly cheerful-looking cliffs of Mt. Coronet. The two of them were like young children finding a stack of gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.

Cynthia giggled. "Good to know." Watching the two young Trainers and their Pokemon chasing each other through the snow, she was reminded of her days in Celestic Town, when she was a child. The sight and memories at the time made her smile and laugh like she never had before. Especially the sight of a serious-looking Deoxys tossing snowballs at its laughing friend and Trainer.

Paul and Isaac nodded. "Good tale," the Orre Trainer said. Paul wondered slightly on why he didn't get a Legendary when he had fought off the crowd for the escape, then dismissed the thought from his mind. _'Thinking like that will just get you into trouble, so STOP. NOW. Besides, I was an abusive bastard then. I did change, but then, who could have guessed?'_

"What I'd like to know is," Rosa said, "why those traitors are so freaking adamant on making your lives hell even now?" This made everyone stop to think.

"Maybe they're being paid to do it?"

"I don't think so. Are they just flat-out idiots?"

"Even they can't be THAT stupid, maybe. Trying to look tough?"

"And getting flattened each and every time? Doubtful."

As this small debate was going on between the two younger girls, Paul, and Isaac, Ash and Cynthia took the time to share a proper kiss, one that they haven't had since the night they were on the cruise ship to Unova. The two youngest Trainers rolled their eyes, and turned away to give some privacy. Both of them had also gotten one plate of chocolate cookies each for the coffee, but Tory had finished his. He quickly took one from Max and ate it, making him give a mock glare before laughing.

"You want them that badly? Go buy some!" he said, still laughing.

"Nah, that's too much effort. We're sitting down already."

"You're a miniaturized Snorlax, you know that?"

"Oh, really? Does any Snorlax get the move Snatch?" Tory said jovially, swiping another cookie and scarfing it down. This made both of them nearly fall over laughing. They didn't realize that the Kanto and Sinnoh Champions had finished their make-out session and looked at their students fondly. The other four finished their debate, not having come to a conclusion. Everyone got up, thanked the owner and the waiters, and left for home.

Victini waved goodbye to the group, wanting to wander the world again. Cynthia and Ash hugged the Pokemon thankfully, the others waved, and the Pokemon stole a macaroon from the coffeehouse before teleporting away, much to the surprise of the staff.

As they walked back to their villa, Isaac asked, "So, how did you start going out with Cynthia?"

Ash chuckled. "We'll tell you when we get inside, okay?" Isaac nodded, and they set off, enjoying the sunset and the cool evening breeze of the beach.

"Oh, right! Tomorrow's the opening ceremonies!" Max commented, glancing at Ash and barely suppressing a smile.

"What, really?! Oh, crap! I forgot!" Ash yelped, looking at his watch. Sure enough, the next day was set for the start of the tournament events. This made everyone collapse into laughter. Even Paul started cracking up, thinking back to their encounters in Sinnoh. _'He's gotten stronger, definitely. But has really changed that little?' _he wondered as he laughed.

"Aw, shut up…" the embarrassed Champion moaned, looking at Cynthia. This only served to make them laugh harder. The blonde Trainer was the first to regain her composure.

"Sorry, dear. Couldn't help it," she said, chuckling as she kissed her boyfriend's cheek and wrapping her arms around her. This still made Ash blush, despite three years of dating. Paul got up, having calmed down, and rolled his eyes.

Finally, everyone stopped laughing enough to reach their villa, and went inside for some rest.

**A/N: Well, another chapter done.**

**I tried to improve the quality of the writing, starting with this chapter. Tried making it a bit less cliché, make it a bit more realistic (I hope I did better this time), and tried for an overall better plot.**

**Special thanks to freddycoops and Trainer Theta for their honest input. They may have stung, but they're true. There's a quote that I made, based on a famous one (We are all our own worst critics). My quote is: "We are not just our own worst critics, but our own greatest fans." I thought I wasn't doing anything wrong with this fanfic at all. Thanks for being honest enough to step up and inform me of my errors. I encourage everyone to do the same. (But please, give some ****HONEST**** compliments to this newbie writer.)**

**In my defense, I'm a new fanfic writer. XD**

**Still, that doesn't excuse the errors, and I'm doing my best to improve.**

**Well, read, review, input ideas/criticism, and I'll see you next time!**

**Red Aura Guard, signing out.**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10: Extreme Revelations**_

_**A/N: This is my longest chapter yet, sitting at over 3500 words! Whoa!**_

_**Anyway, enjoy!**_

An ear-piercing scream rang through the villa, startling everyone as they were eating breakfast and scaring passerby. Rosa had gone to feed her Pokemon, and when she checked her team, one was missing.

"Where the hell is Keldeo's Pokeball?!"

"Umm, did you guys have anything to do with it?" Max asked. Everyone shook their heads. "Okay, just checking."

"Someone broke in, then?" Isaac asked. Thinking back, he hadn't woken up from anyone walking around downstairs last night, and he was a light sleeper. If there had been someone, surely he would have known.

"Well, whoever it was, if they did do it," Tory mused, "they would have had to sneak into her room, with all of us sleeping nearby. Plus, the windows lock from the inside and nothing's broken. Did they pick the lock?"

"If they did, then we're all in trouble. Everyone check for your Pokemon, we've gotta leave by noon," Ash said. Everyone else nodded, and checked their bags. Strangely, no other Pokemon were missing.

"Everyone's accounted for."

"No Pokeballs missing here."

"They didn't steal mine."

"Then what is going on? Who could have done this, and why?" Rosa wailed. Max put a comforting arm around her.

"Well, Keldeo is a tough Legendary," Paul said. "It took down Max's Gallade and did well against Jirachi, despite losing. Probably some rich idiot who thinks they can sweep the competition with someone else's Legendary Pokemon." Max thought for a solution. _'Finding Keldeo's gonna take time, more than what we have. She can't fight in this competition with only five Pokemon? What do I do? Wait, there is one other that I have…'_

"You know, I do have one more Pokemon, not on my main battling roster, but it's extremely powerful. Even Lucario and Gallade together struggle against this one, despite the massive type advantage they have…" the Hoenn Champion said, taking out a mysterious red-and-black Pokeball. Tory's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"Are you sure, man?" Tory asked uncertainly. "I mean, will it obey Rosa?"

"Hopefully," Max said. Stepping outside, he tossed up the Pokeball, releasing the Pokemon within. It stood at a towering eight feet tall, with gleaming armor, long sharpened claws, and a pair of giant horns on its head. A large tail swished back and forth slowly. The Pokemon was none other than an Aggron.

"Hey, can I ask a favor of you?" he asked. His Pokemon looked curiously.

"You see, my friend Rosa just got one of her Pokemon stolen, a Legendary named Keldeo." The Iron Armor Pokemon's eyes widened at the words. "We can't find out who did it or why, so could you battle for her for a while?"

Aggron turned towards the Trainer spoken of. Rosa seemed to be a genuinely kind person, just like Max was. Especially when he rescued it from… No, the memories were too painful. The Pokemon thought for another moment, and slowly nodded.

Max relaxed and smiled. "Thanks, you're the best." He hugged the massive Pokemon, who returned the gesture, almost crushing the Trainer by accident. The Champion handed the odd Pokeball to his girlfriend.

"That's the Pokeball for Aggron, and he's got two abilities: Rock Head and Sturdy. His moves are on this list." He handed her a paper of Aggron's moves. They were: Double-Edge, Iron Head, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Focus Punch, Protect, Iron Tail, Automize, Superpower, Curse, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Magnet Rise, and interestingly, Dragon Rush and Head Smash. Cynthia, who had wandered over to see the list, raised an eyebrow at the last move.

"Interesting… Aren't those Egg moves?" she asked. Max nodded.

"It is, but we EVENTUALLY figured Dragon Rush out, from watching your Garchomp several thousand times," he replied. "Believe me, it took ages, and we thought we would never get it. It was all worth it, though. Dragon Rush let us beat those non-flying Dragon-types much faster. We based the training for Head Smash off of the Dragon Rush training. That was much easier. Head Smash, has taken out so many enemies, it's ridiculous. The Iron Armor Pokemon nodded proudly and flexed its biceps, enjoying the glory from mastering moves normally possible only by breeding. This behavior, so similar to its Trainer's, made everyone laugh.

"Say, where did you get that Aggron, and why is it so big?" Paul asked. "Mine's only about seven feet, standard for Aggron's. Also, how does it have two abilities?" Aggron winced at the memories of the answers to those questions.

Max winced as well. "Sorry, man. There's a story I can't exactly tell right now." Suddenly, Aggron nudged its Trainer, indicating to tell the story, before wandering off towards the beach, to swim. The sight of the large part-Rock-type Pokemon swimming made everyone stare for a moment. He sighed.

"All right then, listen up, because I'm only going to tell it once." Rosa, Isaac, May, and Paul sat down on the sand, and so did Max.

"Aggron was actually rescued from Team Rocket." The audience stared in surprise, not expecting that as an answer. "Yeah, I know. We all know what that organization's like; not caring about the limits of nature, just wanting to take over the world at any cost. Aggron's one of the lucky ones. He survived the experiments thanks to sheer determination. Others… weren't so lucky."

"I don't know exactly what they did, and I sure don't wanna find out. The point is, as we were training in Hoenn, some crazy Team Rocket agent- Domino, I think- confronted us. Of course, she wanted our Pokemon, and it looked like she would have killed us all with her team. Her other five Pokemon were pretty easy to defeat, then she pulled Aggron on us."

"Let me tell you, beating him was a royal pain. Any Pokemon with a quadruple weakness to Fighting-type attacks that can take multiple Close Combats and Drain Punches from Gallade and Lucario is a serious threat. To this day, I still don't understand how that's possible. Swampert's Earthquake was stopped by Magnet Rise, and he just cut through Water-type attacks with Steel-type attacks. I even needed to call out Jirachi to end the fight. When Aggron finally fell, we had to knock the agent unconscious with our remaining Pokemon. When she was taken away, I kept Aggron's Pokeball. Why? I thought I could help him."

"At first, Aggron was pretty distrustful of us. No surprise, especially after what had happened to him. The only reason he didn't go for our throats, I think, was because we got his former Trainer arrested and we genuinely wanted to help. Slowly, he opened up. It was in small steps. One was accepting food directly from me, instead of me having to back up in order for Aggron to eat something. Another was watching us train, instead of just wandering around and looking at his surroundings. Eventually, he decided he wanted to join my team. We welcomed him with open arms, since I only had five Pokemon beforehand. This was before I got Hydreigon."

"The Gym Leaders in Hoenn who I didn't fight prior to then were in for a nasty surprise. I already defeated my Dad before the betrayal, so I had no need to return to Petalburg." May looked down, sorrowful at this. "Winona got pretty flustered at fighting a Steel-type. Tate and Liza's Pokemon got crushed by the giant rocks slamming into the ground. Wallace was borderline terrified when Aggron cut through Surfs and Hydro Pumps with Dragon Tail. Yeah, Ash had lent me the TM for the occasion."

"When I got Hydreigon, I had to put my team on rotation, so everyone would have a chance to fight challengers. Since then, whenever I used Aggron, people would lose their morale at the sight of him. The League almost banned me from using Aggron in Championship battles. Can you imagine this? They weren't afraid of a fire-breathing three-headed dragon that's constantly snarling, but they were afraid of Aggron."

"An armor-plated, eight-foot tall Rock-and-Steel-type Pokemon that resembles a Dragon, with large horns and claws? I can't imagine why," Tory commented. Max chuckled.

"All right, fair enough. Point is, earning Aggron's trust was difficult, but well worth it." Everyone applauded at the end of the story.

"Wow, I can't imagine a Pokemon being able to trust people again, after what happened to it," Isaac said.

"Wow… That's impressive. I doubt the rest of us could have done that," Paul said.

May sniffed. "That was… beautiful…" She ran up to the returning Aggron and hugged it tightly, confusing the Pokemon.

"I'm honored to be able to recruit Aggron temporarily… Thanks, both of you," Rosa said, wrapping her arms around Max.

"Umm, guys? It's eleven-thirty. We REALLY have to go…" Isaac said in alarm, looking at his watch.

"OH CRAP!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hello, one and all! Welcome to the Pokemon World Tournament, where only the best from each and every region is participating!" The crowd roared with applause in response.

The announcer was none other than Scott, the man who had introduced Ash to the Kanto Battle Frontier. As it turned out, he had been the one chosen to organize this event, much to Ash's delight.

"Now, as you all know, we have been given the honor of hosting this tournament in none other than scenic Undella Town, and as a result we have the luxury of being able to rent these villas for our stay. Be sure to thank your managers for this generosity."

"Now, onto the tournament information. First off, a major rule change. You are not required to register your rosters ahead of time!" The crowd stared at this message. Rosa's eyes gleamed; when she got Keldeo back, she would be able to return the Legendary to her team. Max smiled; he would be able to rotate his team like in Hoenn.

"Now, I understand your confusion. However, let me tell you, only the best Trainers will be able to adapt to this change, and such Trainers are what we are looking for."

"Also, the first two rounds will be double battles, where you will choose your partner to battle with in three days' time. DO NOT START DECIDING YET! WAIT UNTIL I AM DONE!" Scott suddenly announced, thinking about the possible reactions to that statement. Max and Tory grinned at each other, Ash and Cynthia leaned into each other in their seats, and the others shrugged.

"There are 512 competitors for this decade's tournament, so the officials decided it was necessary to incorporate the double battle system. After these battles are over, there will be 2 rounds of single three-on-three battles, and the final two rounds will be full six-on-six battles. The winner of this shall be known throughout the world as a true Pokemon Master!" At this, the crowd exploded into cheers. It took Scott several minutes to regain control of the crowd.

"I know you're excited, but that's not all. The winner of this tournament shall get the honor of battling a legendary Trainer. Have you heard of the 'Ultimate Trainers'?" Many gasps rang through the arena, Cynthia's in particular. "Well, they are real! The strongest of them will be your opponent if you conquer the rest in the World Tournament!" Some Trainers almost let their jaws drop to the floor in excitement. Oh, to best one of those Trainers and enter their elite ranks!

"Now go get yourselves signed up and be ready to battle in three days! May the greatest Trainer triumph!" The crowd cheered loudly one more time before heading towards the Pokemon Center to sign up.

"It can't be… I thought they were myths…" Tory said, shaken.

"Is Scott screwing with us?" Max asked, slightly pale. "They can't be real. If the stories are true, they're actually unbeatable…" Cynthia could only nod, shocked into silence at this revelation.

"Umm, who are these 'Ultimate Trainers', again?" Ash asked. His friends stared at him.

"You don't know?! Even I know, and I'm from Orre!" Isaac yelled.

"Open your ears when you walk around towns where they tell these things!" Paul snarled. "The Ultimate Trainers are extremely famous!"

"All right, let's tell him," Rosa said. "Besides, we've got to wait for the crowd to thin out." Everyone nodded in agreement and got into the massive line.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Long before Pokeballs were first invented, people had the idea of training Pokemon as friends and as teammates. Back when befriending a Pokemon was far easier, the people and the Pokemon harmonized as one, something nearly no one can do today. Their synchronization was perfect, making their growth and power beyond what even technology can do. It was truly a golden era of Pokemon and human relationships."

"Legend has it that there were several Trainers who had befriended Legendaries. Not fought, not captured, befriended. These Trainers, unlike most, did not want to wield the power of the Legendaries to become stronger, nor did they want the power of the blessings they gave. Indeed, some people did desire this even in that era. These Trainers just wanted to become friends. It took them time, but after a long period of time, these Trainers obtained the blessings of the Legends: extended life, external charm, physical strength, everything. Also, the Legendaries promised to fight at their friends' side if the cause was just."

"But then, legend says that a great darkness befell the world. Some claim it originated from space. Others say it was the dreams of the few evil individuals in the world that had caused this, boosted by the natural power exuded by the Psychic, Dark, and Ghost Pokemon. Beings of both sides fought with each other far more than usual, humans became tainted by the power. They tried to enslave the Pokemon, take over the world. That was the last time the entire human race banded together for a cause."

"Only the Trainers who had obtained the Legendary blessings were immune to this darkness, along with their Pokemon. These people saw the reason for their blessings; they had a great duty to the world, and only they could do it. They had the strength of will and justice, but they needed something else; what the blessings granted. These people, along with the befriended Legendaries and their teams, fought the great darkness and the mysterious creatures that lurked within."

"The battles were fierce, with the Trainers fighting against what seemed like the whole world to claim victory. They had to travel from region to region, defeating ALL of the strange darkness to purify the region. The Shadow Pokemon of the criminal organizations would be considered pure compared to the darkness. How could these Trainers have done it alone? No one could help them."

"But somehow, they did. They freed every region in the world, after several hundred years of fighting. Their will and justice never flagged throughout this ancient war, the very first war in the history of the world. And so, they succeeded in trapping down and sealing the darkness, for they could not destroy it. However, the darkness' taint still exists today. That is one of the explanations for human evil, like Team Rocket."

"When this war ended, the Legendaries who had fought in the war created younger versions of themselves to take on the roles of the world, for they were tired and needed rest. It is said that to this day, the Trainers and Pokemon rest to prepare for the next end of the world."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"And that's the end of the story," Cynthia said as they told the tale while in line. Ash was silent for a minute, absorbing this information.

"Wow… That's… indescribable," he finally said. "If they're real, then who can beat them?"

"Maybe it's just a test; not of victory, but of bonds between the Trainer and their Pokemon?" May offered. "Oh, we're up for signing up!"

The group turned to the desk, where a slightly hassled nurse was signing people up for the tournament. After registering, they sat down on the couches in the guest area to finish their discussion.

"So, if they are real," Paul began, "do any of us stand a chance?"

Max thought, then shook his head. "I really don't think so. I mean, they were POWERFUL. Their power came from a bond that almost no one can form today between ANY two beings, along with the blessings of a Legendary. Those blessings are nonexistent in today's age. Even Jirachi hasn't given me a blessing yet."

Suddenly, Ash heard a voice from Kanto that he thought he would never hear again.

"Yo, I'm gonna sweep that competition!"

"Yeah, that "Ultimate Trainer" is going down!"

"You're the man, Chief!"

Cynthia glanced at the group with slight disapproval. "Hmm, they seem pretty confident about that one guy's skills…"

"A bit cocky, maybe?" Isaac commented. Paul rolled his eyes. Then the Sinnoh Trainer noticed his former rival.

"Umm, you alright?"

Ash's eyes were twitching and his hands were clenched. He was breathing heavily as he recalled the Trainer standing in the middle of the other group and his actions towards a certain Pokemon of his. One that had left the Trainer and joined Ash. Cynthia looked at him with concern, and everyone else looked confused. The guy wasn't one of the traitors at Pallet, so what was going on?

Suddenly, Ash stormed up to the group, intent on revenge for the Trainer's actions. His friends followed, intent on backing him up and reducing the physical violence to a minimum.

"So, abandon any Pokemon recently, Damien?"

Said Trainer's head twisted, as he seemed to vaguely recall the furious man's voice and appearance. _'Hey, I've seen him before. Now where… Oh, right! My pitiful Charmander joined him!' _Looking at his company, Damien noticed seven others, all of whom were backing up Ash.

"Well, long time no see. How's that pathetic Charmander doing?" Damien commented, smirking.

Ash growled at this. How dare Damien insult one of his top Pokemon, one that had bested Gary's Blastoise in Kanto? "If you hadn't noticed, he's one of the most powerful Charizard in the whole world, if not the first strongest. You haven't changed. Our Pokemon are powerful because we care for each other, not like you'd know anything about that."

"Please," the blue-haired Trainer said cruelly. "You couldn't get a powerful Pokemon for your life. Look at mine!" At this, he held an armful of Pokeballs, all with a star on bottom. Damien's gang applauded at this, and Ash's friends rolled their eyes.

"Umm, who's this nutcase again?" Max asked.

"I'm Damien, one of the strongest Trainers in the world! Good luck even beating one of my Pokemon, nerd!" This made the Hoenn Champion grab one of his Pokeballs, but Rosa stopped him. Max relaxed, and Rosa glared at Damien.

"Hold it," she said. "He could wipe the floor with your whole team before you could even react! Don't play with fire; you'll get burned."

"Well, what are you doing with a pathetic Trainer like him? Why don't you join us, and we'll show you true power! Same goes for Cynthia the Sinnoh Champion over there."

"All right, that's enough," the blonde Champion interrupted, wanting to avoid a fight while also wanting to get even, later on. "We'll settle this at the Tournament. Until then, steer clear of us, got that?"

Damien snorted, along with the rest of his gang. They started to make disparaging comments about them.

"What's so special about any of you?"

"If this was a battle, we'd tear all of you down for a warm-up!"

"Enough of this crap!" Ash interrupted, defensive of his friends. "Why don't we settle this once and for all?" He placed a hand on a Pokeball, and his friends did the same, along with Damien and his group. Suddenly, Damien threw one into the air, right in the Pokemon Center!

"Scizor, Slash this fool down to size!"

The Steel-and-Bug Pokemon flew up, and lunged at Ash with glowing claws. Ash glanced at his shoulder for Pikachu, but then he remembered that Pikachu had stayed at the villa to train in private. He went for a Pokeball, knowing that he'd be too late.

"Arcanine, Flamethower!"

The Fire-type Pokemon sent a large stream of fire at the offending Pokemon, sending it crashing into the wall. It slid to the floor, unconscious. As Ash looked at the Arcanine, he saw its Trainer next to it. A Trainer who Ash would have least expected to save him.

"What the hell?! Gary?!"

_**A/N: Yet another cliffhanger! XD**_

_** So, how's this chapter? Sorry for not updating recently (you're gonna hear that a lot), but I had to study for several tests.**_

_** Anyway, Gary saved Ash?! Yep, this story's not gonna be a run-of-the-mill betrayal story; it'll have reasons for each and everyone's actions. I've got plans for each and every person who participated at the betrayal in Pallet, and I hope they're satisfying!**_

_** Read, review, comment, post ideas, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11: Extreme Revelation, Part 2**_

_**A/N: Well, if at all possible, can you leave some more reviews? That would be great! I'm running dry on ideas for the next few chapters.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"What the hell?! Gary?!"

And it was indeed Gary Oak. He stood to the side, his Arcanine growling. The Gym Leader wore a black T-shirt and blue jeans, with a gray backpack. Unlike his look several days ago, he seemed much more humble and determined.

"Enough!" a nurse cried, dashing to the fighting. "We can't have any battling in the Pokemon Center! Please, take this quarrel outside!" She hadn't noticed the Scizor's attempt to kill Ash, otherwise she would have called the police.

"Grr, fine," Damien growled. He turned to Ash. "Half an hour, in the Pokemon Center battlefield. Five people, one Pokemon each. Sound good?"

"Sure," Ash replied. "The results will be the same either way."

Damien's group left the Center afterwards, to prepare for the battle. Everyone sighed, then looked at Gary.

"Umm, thanks, I guess. But why did you save me?" the Kanto Champion asked. Gary looked down, sorrowful.

"We'd better sit down, this isn't a short story." The others nodded, and took seats on the couches.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Believe me, it was never my idea to turn against you OR to be the arrogant douchebag I was in the beginning of our journeys. But… I was forced to make a choice of what I wanted to give up. My personality that people actually liked… or my Pokemon." The Trainers flinched at this.

"I was at Gramps's lab, researching some of the Unovan Pokemon native here. Suddenly, some creepy black-cloaked guy stormed into the room. He had all sorts of Pokemon I've never seen before. His team wiped the floor with mine, then he knocked me out with some sort of dart gun."

"When I woke up, I found myself tied to a tree, with my Pokemon dangling off a cliff on a rope. His Pokemon were nearby; one was set to cut the rope from the trees that it was tied to. Then the man started talking."

"He said he was interested in you, Ash. He apparently wanted revenge for something. When he learned about me, he decided to 'pay me a visit'. Then he told me that he was going to burn down Pallet Town. It was terrible… What did he have against the whole town? These were his terms for the lives of my Pokemon."

"When he burned down the town, he said there was nothing I could do. And he was right; he destroyed me in a battle. I was told that I could turn against you and resume my arrogant personality for several years. Why the arrogant personality, I don't know. He said he would be watching, and if I tried anything, he would kill my Pokemon, Gramps, then me. It was either that, or lose my Pokemon right then and there."

"I was terrified at the choice. I mean, you beat me before; I'm sure you could do it again, Ash. Also, you were my friend. Cheesy, but to the point. On the other hand, I knew you had many other friends, other Gym Leaders, for example, who you could turn to. My Pokemon had no one to turn to but me; I had to make a choice."

"It doesn't excuse my actions, but can you imagine it? For the lives of ALL of your Pokemon, which you've raised and trained, who are like family to you, would you backstab me? I had no choice; I submitted to his demands."

"After I did, he put a bug on me. Not a Pokemon, an electronic bug. It was set to fall off yesterday night, so he would know I kept my word and I would be free from my obligation. That's why I'm able to speak of this now."

"It doesn't excuse my actions, but I hope it explains why I did what I did. Not by bribery, but blackmail."

"Some of the other traitors, like Tracey, were blackmailed. Others, like Brock, were bribed. I know which ones were which, and I'll tell you."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Everyone was struck silent yet again, at this revelation. Ash looked at his former rival with pity, eyes with a slight blue spark indicating his Aura usage. He was reading Gary's aura to look for any lies. There were none.

"Wow… That really sucks…" May said unhappily. "Being forced to turn against your friend in exchange for the lives of your Pokemon."

Cynthia nodded. "Now that I see why you did this, I'm sorry for punching you and yelling at you. I don't know what came over me…."

Gary shook his head. "No, you were pretty right to do so. Frankly, I think you should do it again, and worse. I'd more than deserve it."

"Well, we would do pretty much anything for our Pokemon," Rosa said. It's kind of an obligation. Finally, Ash spoke up.

"I don't quite forgive you yet, Gary." The Pokemon researcher nodded, expecting that. "But I'm willing to give you a second chance, a chance for redemption. Let's start with this five-on-five battle." Gary brightened, surprised that Ash was so forgiving. Outright forgiveness was not possible, and no one would have expected that. But the Gym Leader was elated at the chance for redemption.

"I'll battle, too," Paul said. "It's been a while since I've fought a Trainer."

"He insulted me, so I'll join in," Max said. "But who will the fifth member be?"

May shrugged. "I'll do it. Besides, I'd like to fight alongside you, Max." He smiled, more than ready to sweep his opponents with his sister.

"Well, let's head over to the battlefield," Isaac said. The others nodded, and filed out of the Pokemon Center.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The two opposing groups stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, unaware of the crowd that was gathering around them. They knew of Damien's terrible training and personality, along with those of his gang. Everyone hoped the Champions' side would win.

"You ready to get blown apart?" Damien taunted, smirking.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Please, we'll burn you to the ground, like this. Charizard, end this!"

He tossed the Pokeball, releasing the Pokemon that Damien had abandoned so long ago. Upon seeing its former Trainer, Charizard roared with power and ager. Damien's eyes widened, looking at the size of his former Pokemon. It was so much larger than any other Charizard he had seen.

Paul sent out his Torterra, Max called for his Swampert, May's Blaziken made an entrance, and Gary's Blastoise landed on the field. On the opposite end, Damien sent out a Machamp, and his teammates sent out a Muk, Jellicent, Luxray, and a Skuntank.

"Sheesh, is that the Skuntank or our opponents' skill? Because I can't tell the difference," Paul said, smirking. The audience laughed, enjoying the comment. Ash and his friends laughed as well, the ones who knew Paul from before not believing that he was actually making jokes.

"I'll give you something to turn your nose up to!" the Skuntank's Trainer snarled. "Poison Gas!" The Pokemon sent a large purple cloud at the opposing team.

"Muk, you too!" The Poison-type seemed to yawn out its own purple cloud of venom.

"Swampert, Blizzard!" Max ordered. His starter blew out a massive blast of icy wind, sending the purple clouds back and poisoning the team, while also freezing them solid.

"Really?" Paul groaned. "You froze AND poisoned them? How the hell do you do that?" The other starters rolled their eyes, and Swampert grinned sheepishly.

Max laughed. "Well, whatever works. Right?"

"Well, should we free them? This is getting really stupid," Gary commented.

Ash shrugged. "Sure. Charizard, Flamethrower!" The Fire-type spat out a concentrated stream of fire, dealing heavy damage to all but Jellicent while also thawing them.

"Machamp, Stone Edge on that Charizard!" Damien cried. The Pokemon sent a barrage of sharp stones at its opponent.

"Hydro Pump!" Gary called. His Blastoise shot a torrent of water with its cannon, blocking the attack and dropping the stones on the ground.

"Luxray, Wild Charge on that overgrown chicken!" one Trainer yelled. The Electric-type Pokemon lunged at Blaziken, coated in electricity. Max and May looked at each other, and nodded.

"Fire Spin!" "Waterfall!"

The Waterfall was powerful on its own, but with a vortex of fire boosting it, the attack was far more than sufficient to overpower the electricity and knock out Luxuray. Said Electric-type was recalled by its fuming Trainer.

Damien growled. "Okay boys, it's time for our 'Endgame Knockout'!" His friends nodded, before issuing their commands.

"Jellicent, Scald!"

"Skuntank, Sludge Bomb!"

"Muk, Toxic!"

"Machamp, use Drain Punch to absorb the attacks and hit that Swampert!"

The Pokemon seemed to grimace slightly, before obeying their Trainers and performing their attacks. As the first three attacks were fired, the Fighting-type punched forward with a glowing fist, absorbing the power of the attacks before charging at Swampert. The Hoenn Water-type starter looked at the attack, before rolling to the side to avoid the hit. Max sighed in relief, then stared in horror at Damien's next command.

"Go for its Trainer!"

Machamp frowned in a sort of apology, before rushing at Max. The Hoenn Champion stood terrified, watching the bulky Pokemon run towards him with a fist coated with four different attacks. Many of the audience members screamed, some fainted, his friends paled, and Swampert looked back with wide eyes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Max opened his eyes, he saw that he was on the ground, and miraculously, uninjured. As he looked up, he saw that Ash had tackled him to the ground before the punch could land. Looking to the side, Max saw his starter grappling with the Machamp in a fury, desiring revenge for what it almost did to its Trainer. Firing Hydro Pumps, Ice Beams, and slamming Machamp into the ground, Swampert continued to fight without orders until the Fighting-type fell unconscious. Above him, Max could see the rest of his friends looking down in concern. On the battlefield, the starters fought against their opponents to avenge the nearly-killed Trainer.

"You all right, Max?" the Kanto Champion asked kindly. He nodded, and shook from the fright of his near-death experience. His muscles were rigid, and didn't look like they would relax soon. May leaned towards him and took him tightly into her arms.

"Ohh, Max!" she cried. "I was so worried! Are you okay?" Finally, he relaxed assured that it wasn't his time to die yet. Everyone, including the audience, glared at the team that had ordered those attacks, wanting to join in the battle. Before anyone else could make a move, Swampert bellowed in sheer anger, startling the other Pokemon. It started charging up a massive ball of water.

"Is that what I think that is?" the young Trainer asked in wonder.

Gary nodded. "Indeed, your Swampert just learned Hydro Cannon. Go ahead, finish them off. You should do it."

"All right, Swampert! Finish this with Hydro Cannon!" At this, Swampert finished charging the ball, before spitting it out at high speeds towards its opponents. The ball slammed into the ground with a massive torrent of water, washing away the opponents except for Jellicent. The other non-starters were out cold from the torrent.

"Enough of this crap! Torterra, Frenzy Plant!"

"Charizard, Dragon Pulse!"

Both Pokemon launched a barrage of attacks against their last standing foe. Torterra slammed its legs into the ground, summoning massive roots that fell towards Jellicent. In the sky, Charizard shot a purple blast of energy to compliment the elemental Hyper Beam. The two attacks collided, and Jellicent fell to the ground.

At this, the crowd burst into wild applause, happy that Damien and his gang had been beaten in a battle. Said Trainers recalled their fallen Pokemon with looks of anger. Rosa leapt into Max's arms, Ash and Cynthia leaned into a deep, passionate kiss (which stirred up the crowd still further), and their friends sighed in relief for the Hoenn Champion's safety. Then everyone glanced at Damien's gang.

"Umm, Chief? What do we do?" one member asked, turning pale at the sight of so many intimidating glares.

"This! Let's get outta here!" He threw up a Pokeball, releasing a Pidgeot. The Flying-type did not look like it was in good condition; its feathers were dirty, its wings looked slightly crooked, and the would-be proud eyes only showed sadness. Yet it still took up Damien's entire gang and flew off to parts unknown. Charizard growled and prepared to take off, but Ash put a hand on its shoulder.

"Hold on, I understand how you feel. I want to roast them just as badly as you do, but we can't get arrested yet. Please, wait a bit for revenge," the Trainer said consolingly, and Charizard relaxed, before nodding. It then flexed its muscles and snorted before lightly roasting its Trainer, making the crowd laugh.

"Well, crap. We didn't get them for what they almost did," Paul growled, glaring at the direction where Damien's gang flew off. Cynthia put a consoling hand on the purple-haired Trainer's shoulder.

"Don't worry. If they show up at the tournament, which I doubt, we can just defeat them then," she said calmly. Inside, however, she was furious that someone had tried to kill one of her students, one who was like family to her. Max, looking into her eyes, noticed the sparks that seemed to fly out.

"It's okay, Cynthia. Don't worry, they won't be able to try that crap again," he said reassuringly. She nodded, slightly more relaxed.

"Well, let's head back," Rosa said. "But first…" She and May glanced at each other, and grinned. This chilled Ash's blood, and confused the other males.

"Shopping!" they cried. This made the other males pale and back away. Max in particular shivered, remembering the past when May took Ash and him, along with Brock, shopping. To this day, the Hoenn Champion swore he could still feel his arms ache. Finally, Gary sighed and stepped forward.

"Consider it part of my penance…"

"Well, you're on your own, Gary. See you!" Max and Tory cried, calling out Hydreigon and Salamence respectively, before jumping on their backs and flying off. Their other friends, except for Cynthia, did the same for their Pokemon who could fly.

"Cynthia, you wanna join us? After we catch them?" May asked.

Cynthia shrugged. "Sure. I need to get some supplies, anyway. Now, here's what we do if we want to catch them…"

_**A/N: That wraps this chapter up!**_

_** If you find the ending crappy, I apologize, but I had to stuff that in somewhere. This is not meant to be derogatory towards any girls in ANY manner; it's just a reference to the anime for comedic effect. **_

_** Well, please review! Seriously, those reviews are where I get inspiration and the desire to write better chapters! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: Shopping and Criminals?!**_

_**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! It means a lot to me!**_

_**This chapter's fluffier than Elesa's BW2 coat; the one that looks like it was made out of Flaffy cotton. But next chapter will be important.**_

_**Enjoy the change of pace!**_

"Ugh, how did ALL of us get caught?!"

"Dammit, man! I told you not to fly there! Garchomp was waiting behind the mountain!"

"How did we not die?! That Cloyster shot us down!"

"What I want to is why the hell you went and took us down, Ash! You take ONE look at a face you wake up to EVERY SINGLE MORNING, and you suddenly go turncoat on us! You know what May's like when she shops; imagine at least three times the load! Why would you do this?!"

After all of the men fled on their Pokemon, Cynthia, May, and Rosa had collaborated to catch them. Rosa had Reuniclus use Psychic to fly Rosa and Cloyster up to fire Icicle Spears at any visible fliers, Cynthia waited behind a mountain on Garchomp in wait for anyone trying to escape, and May used her Beautifly and her phone to inform the others of any of the Trainers. Within two hours, everyone had been rounded up.

"Ash, did you HAVE to bring us down with you?!" Paul growled from underneath Cynthia's Garchomp. Max nodded in agreement from under May's Blaziken. Ash, Paul, and Max had fled from the girls together. When they rounded the cliff, Cynthia and Garchomp flew out from behind. Upon seeing his girlfriend's puppy-face look, the Kanto Champion immediately had Charizard subdue Hydreigon. Taken by surprise, the Brutal Pokemon wasn't able to fly away fast enough, and was dragged to the ground, along with its Trainer. Paul was stunned to see Ash do this; surely he knew the horrors of going shopping with a girl; he remembered Dawn and her expensive tastes. Sadly for the purple-haired Trainer, Cynthia took advantage of this and snatched Paul up from Honchkrow. Seeing its Trainer taken captive, the Flying-type surrendered and followed the Champions back to town.

"Those icicles hurt… Ouch…" Isaac groaned. He and Tory fled the scene on Salamence. They didn't get far before being spotted by Rosa, frozen by Psychic, and falling after the Icicle Spear. Thankfully, they were lowered gently from the Psychic, but May's Blaziken took both Trainers in a headlock upon landing.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's go!" May said happily, earning groans from all of the males.

"Ash, you're paying for the medical bills!" Max said, irritated. "It's your fault we got caught!" The Kanto Champion seemed to wilt under the thought of bearing the heavy bags; then he remembered his girlfriend's expression and smiled to himself.

"Okay, you win. But can we at least go tell the police of the two attempted murders, first?" Isaac asked.

Cynthia nodded. "Sure, we were going to report it, anyway."

"No need for that. We're already on it."

Ash turned around to see two faces; one he recognized and one he didn't. The woman had magenta hair, and wore a yellow cap. She was wearing jeans, a red T-shirt, and a gray hoodie on top of the shirt.

"Hey, Georgia! Long time no see!"

"Indeed, Ash. How have you been?"

Exchanging pleasantries, the Champion looked at her companion. He was a tall man, with a black trench coat. His eyes were brown, and surprisingly warm. His head of messy black hair added to this.

"Hello, my name is Vincent Yamato, Interpol Agent. It seems you know Georgia, already," he said.

"Ash Ketchum, Kanto Champion. And yeah, we've run into each other while in Unova from time to time." The two men shook hands.

"I heard about what took place in the Pokemon Center battlefield. Rest assured, we will find them."

"Thanks, that means a lot to us," Ash said earnestly. "So, Georgia, what are you doing here?"

"I'm his girlfriend," she said, leaning on Vincent and smiling. "I'm also here for the tournament."

"Cool! We can have a rematch! I look forward to it! Say, Vincent. How come you're here? The Interpol works on big cases, right?"

Vincent looked uneasy. "The truth is…." He didn't seem to be able to finish.

Georgia spoke up. "We're hunting down several criminal organization leaders who got away from custody."

"What?! Who?!" Tory exclaimed. All thought of shopping was driven from everyone's minds on hearing this distressing news.

Vincent sighed. "Brace yourselves, this is a long list. The leaders and admins of Team Rocket, Team Magma and Aqua, Team Cipher, Team Galactic, and Team Plasma got away, along with their grunts." He looked ashamed to say the list of the escaped criminals.

Isaac swore. He remembered fighting Team Cipher back in Orre, and he was not looking forward to doing it again. Ardos in particular… He shuddered.

Ash, Cynthia, Max, Tory, and May groaned. The two older Champions remembered Team Galactic's insanity, enslaving Dialga and Palkia and almost succeeding. The siblings thought back to the fight between Groudon and Kyogre, and did not want a repeat. Tory groaned as the thought back to when they fought Domino and Max's Aggron. Paul looked as though he desperately wanted to make insulting comments about the Interpol, but barely refrained from doing so. Gary growled; he remembered the Viridian City Gym battle where he had fought that Psychic-type Pokemon. It had destroyed his entire team easily.

"Well, let's hope they get caught again, and before they can do anything to screw over others," Paul sighed.

Vincent nodded. "So sorry to have bothered you with this information. I bid you good day, and we will catch them, along with Damien's group." With this, Georgia and Vincent departed to the town.

"Really? He tells about criminals escaping custody and just walks away?" Isaac grumbled.

"Well, on that note, let's go home," Ash said quickly, praying that the girls forgot about their original intents.

Rosa shook her head. "I don't think so, Ash. Remember?" The males sighed in defeat and walked off towards Undella Town's plaza.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Oww, my arms! What is in here?!"

"I hope this counts towards my penance for my actions!"

"Don't worry; I'm beginning to forgive you! Just take some of these boxes, would you?"

"Aren't there laws against child labor?!"

The males of the group struggled under the burden of clothes and fashion supplies that had been loaded into their arms. Ahead of them, the females walked casually along, eating ice cream that Cynthia had bought from an ice cream stand (taking a long time to decide on her own). In the meantime, passerby stared at the three Champions and other Trainers carrying loads of boxes and bags, wanting autographs but thinking it would be a bad time to ask.

"Damn you, Ash! You roped us into this crap!" Paul snarled while barely balancing his stack.

"Careful, Paul. There are glass bottles in there," Cynthia chided, suppressing a giggle at the Veilstone Trainer's strained face. Paul usually scowled in the past, and never looked exerted at all. Seeing him like this would have made Ash snicker, were he not underneath a large stack of bags as well. Suddenly, the two former rivals of Sinnoh put down their luggage as they recognized a voice they had met in that very region.

"Excuse me, can I get a dozen Oran berries? Thanks!"

The voice belonged to Dawn Berlitz, Ash's former traveling companion of Sinnoh. She had grown considerably, now standing at a height equal to that of Rosa's. She had straightened her blue hair, leaving two rings of hair on either side. Her skirt was now a deep blue, and her shirt a vivid pink. A sleeveless green jacket rested on her shoulders. Her bag remained on her hip, and an Empoleon stood next to her, holding a stack of boxes much like their own burdens.

_'Looks like Piplup evolved,' _Ash thought. "Dawn!" he called.

Dawn turned around so fast, she forgot to get her berries. "Ash?! Is that you?!" she squealed. Seeing her friend's face, she leapt into his arms.

"You're okay! I heard that you were injured or killed! Thank goodness you're all right!" she sobbed. He smiled and patted her back, glancing at Cynthia. Fortunately, the Sinnoh Champion recognized the gesture as one of comforting, and waved it off.

"Don't worry, I'm okay. In fact, my team and I have gotten way stronger than before," he said gently. Dawn smiled and let go. At that moment, Empoleon grinned and called out as well, putting down its load.

"Hey, Empoleon. I see you evolved." He brushed the Pokemon's wings, resulting in another grin.

"Yeah, Piplup evolved during Contests both times; earning victories both times," Dawn said proudly. Then she looked at Paul.

"Hi there, Paul, how are you?" she said slightly cautiously, remembering the Trainer's callous attitude back in Sinnoh. Paul glanced at his former rival, his eyes asking, _'Should I?'_ Ash, who was standing behind her, nearly fell over in silent laughter and mouthed, _'Do it!' _To Dawn's side, Cynthia almost lost her calm expression to hilarity and nodded for Paul to say what she thought he would.

The Veilstone Trainer turned around and crossed his arms. "It's none of your business," he snapped, barely suppressing a laugh as he faced away from Dawn.

The Coordinator's face was comparable to the color of a boiling Corphish. "Well, excuse me for asking how you've been doing! Here I thought you changed after five years!" she yelled, storming up to Paul's face. And seeing his failed attempt at maintaining a serious expression, which was so unlike the Paul she knew. Paul's normal face was characterized by a scowl; Dawn could see a grin curling around his lips as he tried (and failed) to hold in his expression. This was the straw that broke the Numel's back, as everyone exploded into laughter.

Dawn was too stunned to register this. "Wait, you… actually… cared? About what I… said?"

Paul nodded. "Yep. To answer your question, I'm doing fine. And I'm not the same Paul you knew before." Her jaw dropped, looking like it would unhinge in a moment. Empoleon was so shocked, it lost its balance as it walked and fell over. The purple-haired Trainer joined the others in their laughter.

She turned around, finally realizing that she was being made fun of. Ash and Cynthia in particular were laughing so hard, they had difficulty breathing.

"I'm sorry, Dawn," Cynthia said while trying to catch her breath. "But this was too good to pass up."

"Yeah, you should have seen your face," Ash gasped, rolling around as he tried to get up.

Dawn sighed, and chuckled. "Well, at least Paul's not a big jerk anymore." Turning to the shopkeeper, she got her Berries and put the box into Paul's arms, making him groan as he looked at the stack of boxes that he had put down. This was going to be a long walk…

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Twenty minutes later, the men finally set their packages down and collapsed on the villa floor. To the male Trainers, it was worse than taking down the criminal organizations again; Dawn added her supplies to the already precarious load, much to the relief of her Empoleon.

After they recovered, Cynthia asked, "What are we gonna do about rooms? Before Gary and Dawn arrived, we had eight, and there are eight rooms. We need to clear up two rooms. Who's going to share?" This made everyone stop and think.

Max glanced at Rosa. She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, but no poking around my room without permission, alright? And there had better be no funny business when I'm sleeping."

The Hoenn Champion nodded. "Really, I wouldn't ever do that."

Rosa smiled. "I know, just checking. The only reason I'm allowing this is because I know you're honorable," she said reassuringly, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek and wrapping her arms around his back. He blinked stupidly for a moment, before coming to his senses from a swift kick to his shin; courtesy of Tory.

Ash suddenly grinned wickedly, an idea forming in his mind. "Dawn and Paul could share a room; that would open up the one left for Gary."

The whole room burst into laughter, except for the two Sinnoh Trainers. They just gaped, not believing what they heard.

"Whoa, wha-what?!" Paul gasped, color blooming in his face. Next to him, Dawn blushed even further; it looked like she was on fire.

"Yeah, that sounds good for you two. You seem like a pair of lovebirds, anyway," Gary snickered. This made both of them give impressive glares at the Viridian City Gym Leader. Finally, Paul sighed.

"It DOES seem like the best solution. If you don't mind, I won't." This made Ash blink; did his former rival, the one who was always so callous to others, really say that?

Dawn groaned. Inside, however, she was interested in her offer. _'Now that he's not a jerk, he seems like a nice guy,' _she thought, blushing. "All right, whatever. I get the bed, though." Paul nodded. Then she remembered something, along with Isaac.

"So, what did happen? I heard you did something terrible, but I don't believe it."

"Oh, you forgot to tell how you and Cynthia got together. If this is rude, sorry. But care to tell us?"

Ash sighed. "All right, we'll talk over dinner." He picked up a phone and ordered several pizzas, preparing to talk for a long time.

_**A/N: This was more of a fluff chapter, although we find several criminal organizations have escaped prison! And Dawn's falling in love? With Paul?!**_

_**Next chapter will cover some pretty important stuff, but this one was just one I wrote to get some of the comedic ideas out of my head.**_

_**Well, read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter 13: Showdown at Undella's Villa_**

**_A/N: Sorry for not responding to reviews; I'll be sure to do that! (Why do I feel so stupid?)_**

**_-Pokemonfan6000: I know, right? Them cliffhangers. But hey, they get people to read on._**

**_-sUbSoNiCSoundwave: (That made me go back and forth multiple times) Anyway, since Dawn wasn't there, I made it so that Ash wasn't angry at her._**

**_-Xtreme Gamer: Thanks!_**

**_-Luckenhaft: Sorry again for forgetting to respond. (I feel stupid)._**

**_Anyway, any OC's you have in mind, let me know! Include Pokemon and movesets. They may not be main characters, however; just warning you._**

**_Enjoy!_**

"So, how did you two get together?"

The group had just finished eating pizza for dinner, and were sitting on the comfortable couches, talking.

Ash chuckled. "All right, I suppose you deserve to know."

"Wait, we never told anyone? Not even Max or Tory?" Cynthia asked in surprise. Her boyfriend shook his head.

"Well, okay then… Here's how it happened…"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"It all started when I met Cynthia at Paul's battle at the Celestic ruins. When I saw her, it was love at first sight. I mean, she's beautiful, kind, AND a powerful Trainer. What's not to love about her? Seeing her treat Paul's Pokemon after they fell with her own supplies, when she could have just used the Pokemon Center's stock of medicine. They wouldn't have minded, but she used her own Potions. That just proved even more that she was generous and so amazing-"

"Can you stop going on about the time I lost?! Surely there were other times; get on with those!" Paul groaned, leaning back in irritation. Everyone laughed, especially Ash.

"Sorry. Anyway, we crossed paths so many times, and I couldn't stop thinking about her whenever she wasn't around. Even Team Galactic's appearances couldn't but a damper on that glow inside whenever Cynthia was there." The Sinnoh Champion blushed and continued the story herself.

"I can say the same thing too; I just couldn't stop thinking about him. He's so kind to his Pokemon, all the time-"

"I swear, if this is a rant on how I USED to treat my Pokemon-"

"Sorry, didn't mean to. Anyway, he's kind, handsome, and had so much buried potential. I guess he just wanted to make things fair for the others in Sinnoh. I mean, who would want to fight a Charizard that's the strongest in a whole valley of wild Charizards? Or a Sceptile that's fought through the Kanto Battle Frontier? I mean, sure, there's a slight age difference between us. But we're both legal age, and we both ACTUALLY love each other."

"Whenever we met up with each other, it was always with some Team Galactic goons in the way. But still, only the sight of Dialga and Palkia being taken control of by the Red Chain made me take my mind off him. Otherwise, I always wished he would stay by my side forever."

"And that did happen, when we crash-landed in front of your house, right?" Max asked.

Ash nodded. "Yep, when we made it to Celestic. In a way, it's thanks to you, Paul. If you didn't tell us to head over there, we probably would have gone somewhere else, like Altomare."

"Well, we barely made it in the first place," Tory commented. "Between the hiding in the forests and the collisions with trees, along with the final landing, I'm surprised we didn't have to take our chances in another town. In a good way."

"And I'm glad we didn't have to. While you two and Pidgeot were resting, Cynthia and I were talking upstairs. Well, she was comforting me as I was sobbing my eyes out at being backstabbed and … what also happened. After felt a little better, I finally worked up the guts to confess my feelings for her. Boy, was I happy to know she felt the same way about me. That first kiss patched up a good chunk of my broken heart, along with our future dating. Training you two helped just as much." Their young protégés blushed slightly. "Even so, I still remain vengeful of the real traitors to this very day. Not you, May and Gary. You guys were scared, either by the crowd or by that creepy hooded guy." At this, Cynthia leaned on Ash's arm, resting her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her.

"I remember some of my more… enthusiastic male fans tracking you down and asking about this. They were threatening to call the police and get you arrested, Ash. Good thing you were proven innocent. When they were, some CONTINUED to spread those rumors, and when that failed, they tried to get you taken to court. Still, it was worth it. At least they didn't bother my grandmother."

"Indeed it was," he replied. They shared a kiss, before resuming their previous positions.

"Wow… so that's the story," Isaac said in wonder.

The other three girls continued to look at the couple in amazement. "I'm glad you got through that, and with support," Dawn said approvingly. The other two nodded in agreement, not finding any other words to say.

"Nice to know I helped, for once," Paul said, trying to break the tension. Everyone else chuckled, rolling their eyes.

"Hey, it's getting late. Let's get some rest," Max said, yawning.

"All right, fair enough. Say, Cynthia. Sorry if this is a bad time to ask, but can I get a rematch tomorrow after lunch?" the Veilstone Trainer asked.

"Sure," the Sinnoh Champion said, smiling. "I look forward to seeing your growth." Suddenly, Gary shot up.

"Oh, crap! I forgot!"

"What, what is it?" Ash asked in worry.

"We all can't fall asleep; I just remembered!" he yelled. "Brock got ahold of a skeleton key for the villas, and he plans on breaking in sometime! He invited me to join in!" This shocked everyone beyond belief.

"Oh, damn… A skeleton key?! For the villas?! How the hell did he get that?! Who made one?!" Tory groaned.

"This is really bad. We can all guess who he's going to go for," Rosa muttered.

Ash growled. "If he tries, we'll be waiting. Let's keep the lights on throughout the house, except in your rooms. We should also have at least one Pokemon per room when we're sleeping. I'll take first watch."

"I'll go with you; I'd rather stay up with you, dear," Cynthia said. The couple smiled at each other.

"Okay, that takes care of the first shift. Let's divide it up into three shifts of three and a half hours each. Sound good?" Paul asked. The others nodded.

"We can cover the second shift," Max and Tory said at the same time.

"Sure, why not?" Rosa commented. "Means I won't need to worry about a roommate."

"I can take the third shift. Paul, you with me?" Gary said, looking at Paul. The other Trainer nodded, giving his assent. Dawn suddenly grinned wickedly.

"Hmm, and I thought I was the one you were in love with, Paul?" Dawn teased, expecting a horrified response. She was not disappointed, as the two Trainers looked in horror at each other and backed away. This prompted everyone else to burst into hysterical laughter at this reaction.

"Consider it payback for what you said earlier, Paul," the blue-haired Coordinator gasped while trying to get her breath back from laughing.

"Not funny," they grumbled, looking away from each other. This only served to add to the laughter.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So, do you think he'll show up?"

Ash and Cynthia were sitting on the stairs leading to the bedrooms, talking with each other. Garchomp was patrolling the ground floor, and Pikachu was napping on Ash's shoulder, much to the small Pokemon's Trainer's amusement. _'So much for keeping watch,' _he thought.

"I think so… but what if Gary's lying?" the Sinnoh Champion asked.

"Then why would he volunteer to keep watch with Paul? Let's trust his judgment on this, and if no one shows up, great. If they do, we'll be ready," he replied. She nodded, and leaned on boyfriend's shoulder.

"I'm not worried about what will happen to us; we'll be fine. But what about Max and Tory?" she whispered. "They're highly accomplished Trainers, and they even know martial arts, courtesy of their Pokemon. But still, I'm worried."

"I know how you feel. Sometimes, I wonder if them turning their backs to the others was the right idea for them. I mean, look at the crap that's happened since then." He sighed. "But then again, like they'd be able to live with themselves if they betrayed me, too. Besides, they would never have gotten as strong as they did otherwise." The two Trainers chuckled at this, and looked at the clock.

"We'd better get some sleep; our shift's over." Ash nodded in response, yawning.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Say, Unfezant, anything going on?" Tory whispered to his trusty Flying-type. The Pokemon shook its head. Next to him, Max asked the same to his Lucario, for the same response.

"Man, is anyone gonna show up? Can't we just move the fridge in front of the door and glue the windows?" Max groaned, yawning. Then he remembered. "Oh right, it's Brock we're talking about."

"Yep, we can't take any chances. Believe me, I'd love to not have to worry about him, too. I'll get some sodas."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Tory got up and walked towards the kitchen, Unfezant flying behind him. Max looked at Lucario and grinned.

"You ready for the tournament?"

_"Definitely, Master," _Lucario said, prompting a groan from Max at being called "Master" again. _'Do all Lucario do that?' _the Champion mused.

"What the- what are you doing here?!"

Both Pokemon and Trainer straightened up in surprise at the yell, followed by Unfezant's screeches and the sound of Pokemon battling. Lucario glanced at is Trainer and nodded, dashing towards the fight, while Max went to wake up the others.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Damn, looks like he was right after all. They did show up," Tory growled as he faced the pair of masked men, cracking their knuckles. A Forretress and a Conkeldurr stood next to them.

"Now then, kindly back off and we can do this without any violence," one growled; it was impossible to tell who it was by the voice.

"Over my dead body! Unfezant, Hypnosis! Lucario, Swords Dance into a Close Combat!" The two men were surprised at the second command, but reacted quickly.

"Forretress, step up and use Rapid Spin to block Hypnosis!"

"Conkeldurr, Mach Punch on Lucario!"

The Bag Worm Pokemon drifted forward and spun at high speeds to deflect the hypnotic waves from Unfezant's eyes. The larger Fighting-type plowed its pillars into the ground and dashed forward at incredible speeds, fist in front, aiming for its adversary's head. Lucario, however, completed its Swords Dance and was able to kick the fist down, redirecting the attack. This gave the Aura Pokemon the opening it needed to land its Close Combat; striking with its fists, feet, knees, and elbows, the attack did serious damage to Conkeldurr. However, the Muscular Pokemon was able to stand.

"Garchomp, Dragon Claw!"

Suddenly, the Land Shark Pokemon rushed into the room at top speeds, claws glowing with purple energy. It slashed the two enemy Pokemon and sent them crashing to the ground, knocking Conkeldurr out but leaving Forretress floating. Standing in the doorway were the others who were sleeping before, along with Max. He walked up to his friend.

"Had enough? Give up and we can do this without any more violence," the Hoenn Trainer snarled.

"All right, then. Time to get outta here. Forretress, Explosion!"

"No, you idiots-" Paul began, but it was too late. The Bug-type glowed with white energy, just as the two men slipped out the window they had entered from. Everyone tried to dash out of the kitchen, but it was too late; Forretress used Explosion.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Some late-night swimmers nearly jumped out of their bathing suits as they saw and heard one of the villas explode with a massive blast. Flaming debris flew everywhere, fortunately not landing on anyone. Even more fortunately, only one room looked badly damaged; the damage done to the other rooms of the villa looked negligible from the outside. However, some of the braver public got a closer look and saw a group of unconscious people, some of whom looked badly injured. Several pulled out cell phones and called the local hospital.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey, you doing all right?" Ash asked kindly as he saw his white-haired student awaken.

Tory stirred, and tried to sit up, but failed. Looking around, he noticed he was in the hospital.

"Take it easy, just relax. You've been out for half a day; good thing it wasn't any worse."

"What happened?" Tory groaned. "Oh, right… that Forretress blew up on us. Is Max all right? And the others?"

"Yeah, everyone's all right," Ash replied. "But Max's still sleeping. Cynthia's next to him now." He gestured towards the bed on the other side of the room, where the Sinnoh Champion was sitting on a chair next to her unconscious protégé. "The others got their injuries treated already; you two were hit the hardest. Unfezant and Lucario weren't that badly hurt; they're resting up at the Pokemon Center. She was worried sick about you two, and so was I."

"I can imagine. We were right next to Forretress when it used Explosion. Least there weren't any Spikes." At this, the Kanto Champion winced.

"It used Spikes and Explosion at the same time, didn't it?" the Johto Champion asked flatly.

His teacher nodded, before leaning back on his chair and sighing heavily. "I'm really glad there wasn't any permanent damage; you'll be up in no time for the tournament."

Deciding to assess the damage, the young Tower Tycoon glanced under his shirt and winced. His torso was covered in bandages that were clearly fresh. Looking at his arms, he saw that although there were no bandages there, indents of Spikes and debris were visible. He didn't want to even look at his legs. Suddenly, Max woke up with a groan of pain.

"Ugh… that hurt like crazy… Ouch…"

"Whoa, take it easy. You got hit really hard; you need to rest," the blonde Trainer said worriedly, putting an arm around him. The young Trainer looked to his side, then at his mentors.

"Tory, you all right there?" he groaned.

"Yeah, but I should be asking that about you. You dove on top of me, trying to minimize the freaking damage done to me by taking it yourself!"

"Like you wouldn't have done that for me if you were faster," he replied with a tired grin, and winced again, clutching his side. "Everyone else all right? Hey, Ash, Cynthia. What happened to you guys? You don't look injured.

"Well, Gary shoved us out of the room, and pretty much saved our lives. I saw several chunks of glass on the wall that would have gone through us." At this, Ash looked out the window. "I'm really grateful for him; he prevented us from getting killed."

Cynthia stroked Max's hair. "You should get some sleep; you'll need it to get better soon. Don't worry about us; just relax." The young Trainer nodded and closed his eyes. Soon, he was snoring gently. After he did, a nurse walked into the room.

"Don't worry, nothing is permanent; everything will heal. I'm sorry to say that Max might have some minor scarring, but otherwise, nothing serious." She said this without the usual verve of a doctor giving good news. She left quickly, noticing the sleeping patient.

Tory glanced at his instructors. "You guys should go get some rest or a smoothie; we'll be fine for a while. I'm feeling pretty sleepy anyway… why, I don't know…" He yawned, before relaxing on his bed and falling asleep.

The two older Trainers smiled warmly at their protégés, before quietly exiting the room.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upon stepping outside the hospital room, the Sinnoh Champion stood still and shook violently. Ash noticed this and embraced her; Cynthia returning the hug with vigor.

"I was so scared for them! They were right in front of an exploding Pokemon; they could have been killed!" she sobbed. "We were all lucky to not have died, but especially them! Why would they do this to a pair of kids?!"

Ash patted her back gently. "I don't know… I really don't… All we can do is either beat them down at the tournament or watch them get arrested and get their just dues." The Sinnoh Champion looked up and nodded, before hugging her boyfriend even tighter. Ash winced as he thought he heard something snap. Looking around, he noticed some passerby giving them looks of sympathy, as though the two of them had seen someone die. The Kanto Champion mouthed, _'Everyone's fine,' _to stop the stares. They nodded and continued on. The couple remained there for several minutes, before Cynthia calmed down and they headed out to the town.

**_A/N: Oh damn, the villa was struck! The girls weren't violated, but people were injured!_**

**_Anyway, what do you guys think? Too much? Just right? What? Did I rush the last part?_**

**_Leave a comment, it really makes me feel like this story is worth continuing (as if I didn't feel that way already)._**

**_Read, review, and I'll see you next time!_**

**_~Red Aura Guard, signing out._**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14: Electrifying Encounters**_

_**A/N: Here's Chapter 14! (Finally).**_

_**-Xtreme Gamer: Thanks! And you'll have to keep reading to find out who makes it (alive) to the end! :3**_

_**-Luckenhaft: I can't wait to incorporate Georgia, too! This'll be fun.**_

_**-To everyone else: Thanks for the reviews, and keep reviewing, posting ideas, etc.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

As Ash and Cynthia walked towards the police station, they were thinking several things. Why would they do that? The Forretress had to be Brock's, and Ash remembered seeing Trip use a Conkeldurr, so the Conkeldurr had to have been his. Was blowing up the villa necessary? What if Max and Tory had been killed? The whole world would have been thrown into an uproar, especially Hoenn and Johto. There could have been a damn war, for crying out loud…

"Oh, here we are. Let's go, Ash."

The Kanto Champion was interrupted from his thoughts as Cynthia spke to him. He nodded, and the two stepped into the building.

At the front desk, there was a police officer sitting down, typing something on a computer. Upon noticing the Trainers, she hastily stood up and said, "Hello, is there something you need?"

Ash nodded. "Yes, we believe we know who was responsible for the destruction of part of our villa yesterday."

"Really? Who was it? How do you know?"

"Their names are Brock and Trip; the Pewter Gym Leader and Unova Champion respectively. We know because we had reliable evidence that Brock was planning on breaking in, and Brock's always had a Forretress. The Chandelure was Trip's."

The officer nodded. "I appreciate your insight, but the fact is that… those two couldn't have been responsible."

"WHAT?!" Neither Trainer could believe her. Was she lying?

"I know," she sighed. "I've heard from all of my other sisters in the force about Brock, and normally I would believe you. But the problem with your theory is that from here, I saw the two of them arguing with each other from the restaurant right across from here, and they both jumped when the explosions happened. So we can't arrest them for that."

"I- I understand…" Cynthia muttered, even more worried than before. _'If it wasn't them, who could it have been?' _They thanked the officer for her time, and left the building.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What are we gonna do? We can't just let this go, but we have no leads at all…"

"I really don't know, Cynthia. Let's start with checking on Max and Tory; they've probably been discharged from the hospital, or are about to be." As if on cue, Ash's phone rang.

"Hey, it's us!" Max called from his phone. "They just discharged us form the hospital, so should we just head back?"

"No, we'll come get you. Just stay put for a moment, we'll be right there," the blonde Trainer informed them.

"Okay, we'll be in the lobby. See ya!" The connection shut off.

"Well, let's go. You wanna get some ice cream afterwards?" Ash asked.

She nodded. "Sounds good."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"How did things go at the police station?" Tory asked. The two older Trainers blinked, not having told their students that they were going to the police.

Max chuckled slightly. "We guessed you two would go there, and I'm not surprised."

"Well, truth is," Ash sighed, "Brock and Trip weren't responsible. This nearly made the two young Trainers fall over from shock.

"WHAT?!"

"I know," the Sinnoh Champion groaned. "We thought it was them, too. It was someone else." This made everyone go quiet in thought.

"On that note, ice cream?" the Hoenn Champion asked suddenly, wanting to break the sullen mood. Everyone nodded and set off for some comfort food.

On the way, Max noticed his friend stare slightly at one of the girls, before shaking himself and moving on. A yellow-haired girl sat at one of the tables, eyes closed in content. Her yellow vest and signature headphones were clearly visible, although she looked like she was hiding. It was none other than Nimbasa's Gym Leader Elesa, who was eating a cup of strawberry ice cream. Max also noticed that Tory was blushing slightly, and he smirked.

"Hey, a girl catching your eye?" he chuckled. Tory whipped around and stared.

"Was it that obvious?!"

Max shook his head. "I just know you too well. After we get our ice cream, you go ask to sit at her table. The other tables are full, anyway. Don't give me that look, just do it!"

Ash and Cynthia laughed quietly at this scene. "Do it, go for it!" Cynthia encouraged the Trainer.

Ash nodded as well. "Yeah, fortune favors the brave!"

Tory sighed. "All right, after we get some ice cream." His three companions cheered quietly.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Umm, excuse me, Elesa? Is it okay if I sit here? The other tables are kinda full," Tory asked, holding a cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Surprisingly, he was relaxed, his hands not shaking in the least.

"Sure!" The Electric-type Gym Leader gave a dazzling smile, which made the Tower Tycoon's face glow slightly redder. He managed to sit down without falling over or spilling his ice cream, and smiled too.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. So, how are things going with you?"

"Pretty good. I'm psyched to have been chosen to participate in this tournament."

"I know, right? Five hundred sixteen of the best Trainers in the whole WORLD running around and competing to become the ultimate Trainer. Are you hiding from fans?" Upon seeing her surprised face, he chuckled. "I know what it's like, and I take that as a yes."

The Nimbasa Gym Leader sighed. "Being a supermodel with a bunch of fans is tough, but when you're the Gym Leader to boot, they just swarm all over you."

"Wow, that's a lot of work. I know what that's like," Tory replied. "I mean, being the Johto Champion AND the Tower Tycoon of LaRousse City at the age of fifteen is pretty tough."

"Cool, you're fifteen? That's pretty neat! Say, you wanna go for a walk around, get to know each other better?" Unbeknownst to Tory, Elesa was actually interested in the Champion. _'He's about the same age as me, and he seems like a nice person. Good manners, too. I hope he likes me, too,' _she thought, hiding a slight blush.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Max, Ash, and Cynthia nodded in approval. "Come on, keep it going," they muttered. "Don't let her get away…"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tory glanced at his friends, who were vigorously nodding in approval. "Sure!" he responded jovially, all thought of his injuries gone. He got up, and felt a sharp pain in his legs, and winced.

"You all right?" Elesa asked in worry.

He nodded. "Yeah, still feeling the injuries. Remember yesterday's exploding villa? Sadly, I was in it."

"Whoa, I'm sorry that happened to you. Do you know who did that?"

"We don't know yet. First thoughts went to Brock and Trip, but they weren't there.

Elesa sighed. "I remember Brock from a Gym Leader's convention. He tried hitting on me. Thank goodness for his Toxicroak. So, you need a ride? I've got an Eelektross that we can use for the trip."

Tory shook his head. "I'll be fine, but I'm gonna be a bit slower than usual." Elesa shrugged, and the two walked off towards the beach.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tory took a deep breath in, admiring the splashes of the waves on the sand. "Ahh, it's a nice day out. Good thing we got out of the hospital today."

"We? Who else got hurt?" Elesa asked in concern.

Tory sighed at his slip-up. "My friend, Max. You know about him, right? Hoenn Champion and everything. He dove on top of me to stop me from getting killed by the explosion. Got hurt worse than me, but he's fine now." The Gym Leader winced at this.

"Say, I heard you two are being trained under Ash and Cynthia. Is this true?" He nodded.

"Okay, because I know Ash from before. He stood up for his friend for her to be allowed to continue her journey. After that, he challenged me to a battle and won. I can still remember his little Pikachu taking out my Tynamo. I also heard something terrible happened to him, and it made me worried beyond belief. He's such a nice guy, and he loved his Pokemon so much. Next thing I know, he'd obliterated the competition at the Pokemon League, swept the Elite Four, and toppled Lance from his throne, all with superbly powerful Pokemon. He even had Legendaries! What happened?"

The young Champion looked uncomfortable. "Well, it's a long, depressing story, and I don't really have any right to give the details. What I AM at liberty to tell you, is that Ash was betrayed by his former friends when he returned home, and he, Max, and me were all driven out. Max and I stood by him, and we had to flee. Cynthia took us in, and that's how the two of us became their apprentices."

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered, suddenly embracing him tightly. He was stunned by this, but didn't hesitate in returning the gesture.

"It's cool," he said, smiling. "Max and I wouldn't have been able to get nearly as strong as we are now, and besides, those friends weren't really friends, anyway. On top of that, I wouldn't have had the fortune of meeting you."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Said Champion cheered quietly at the last line, along with his tutors. "Nice one! Go for the finisher!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Gym Leader blushed more heavily at this compliment. Then she smiled cheekily. "You have a crush on me, don't you?"

For once, the white-haired Trainer was struck speechless. His jaw nearly dropped, and his blue eyes stared at the yellow-haired beauty in front of him. Elesa looked at his expression, before giggling slightly and kissing him on the cheek.

"I'll tell you what. Tomorrow is the first round of the competition, so the first half of the day is gone, from watching and participating in matches. However, would you like to have dinner with me at the Octillery Bar? It's a really good sushi bar, and we won't be hounded by any aristocratic fans who just want publicity."

Tory nodded rapidly. "Sounds great! I'll pay, don't worry."

"Great, thanks! I'll see you, then!" With that, she winked and walked off to her own villa. This left the Johto Champion standing there, in shock of his luck. _'I've got a date…' _He staggered off, barely able to restrain himself from jumping in joy.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

He burst into the villa, practically dancing as he sped towards his friends. Max and Rosa were leaning on each other, the former having fallen asleep from the TV show they were watching. May was looking at her brother in relief, thankful that he was all right. Dawn and Paul were quietly conversing about something, and Ash, Cynthia, and the other two males were watching the show that was on.

"I've got a date tomorrow!" he announced elatedly. Max woke up and glanced at Ash and Cynthia, who smiled in satisfaction.

"Nice work, bro! I knew you could do it!" the Hoenn Champion congratulated his friend. Everyone looked at the white-haired Trainer and also said words of encouragement and compliments.

"Oh yeah, the line-ups should be up by now. I'll pull them up," Paul said, picking up his laptop and opening a new tab. He typed in the website for the official brackets, and looked at the opposing teams. The Veilstone Trainer noticed that he and Dawn would not be battling anyone particularly noteworthy tomorrow, something that made him sigh. Suddenly, one pair of opponents shocked him. He tried closing the laptop hastily, but it was too late; Max had already walked behind him and held it open.

"Come on, man. Lemme see who Tory and I are up against tomorrow," he chuckled. Looking at the bracket, his face fell. "Dammit," he whispered. Concerned, Tory, Ash, and Cynthia hurried over to observe the fateful battle.

Max and Tory would be facing Norman the very next day.

_**A/N: Looks like Max has to face down his own father in battle, the man who betrayed Ash at Pallet before!**_

_**You guys think Norman should be forgiven or not? Post your opinions on the reviews.**_

_**Hmm, a pretty short chapter today. Don't worry; next chapter will be better.**_

_**Sorry for not updating yesterday; finals studying, and writers block. I'd appreciate any ideas for the story, since they help a lot. OC's are always welcome.**_

_**Read, Review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**_

_** ~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15: Family Quarrels**_

_**A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday; this chapter took longer than expected.**_

_**To Luckenhaft: Thank you in particular for your review. Wasn't the kindest one, but it was TRUE. I've got work to do on this, huh... :P**_

_**To Jo-bones: Also, thanks for your input. I do need to make this less cliche. And I was trying to make it NOT cliche, too...**_

_**To everyone else: Thank you for your opinions on this chapter!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Damn…"

Max was still as he stared at whom his opponent was going to be the next day. _'Why do I have to face my dad this early in the tournament?!'_

"Err, Max? You okay?" Tory asked uncertainly. The Hoenn Champion thought for a moment, then shrugged and called out his Swampert. It looked around in confusion, not seeing any opponents.

"Hey, Swampert," he said. "We're up against Dad tomorrow." At this, the Water-type starter growled angrily, before putting an arm on the Trainer's shoulder.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Anyway, will you fight against him, just like before?" Not hesitating, Swampert nodded. It wanted revenge on Norman for his actions; Max was never the same since that incident, and Swampert saw it as Norman's fault.

"Thanks again, buddy," he said quietly, returning Swampert to its Pokeball. Ash looked down, furious at the Hoenn Gym Leader and worried for his young friend's sake. Rosa looked worried for his well-being, along with everyone else. Max sat down at the couch, sighed, and looked up.

"Don't worry; we're here for you," Cynthia said, putting a comforting arm around her protégé. He nodded and leaned on her shoulder, eyes closing in sudden exhaustion.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What? We're facing Max and Tory tomorrow?!" Norman exclaimed, unable to believe that he would see his son for the first time in fifteen years.

"Yes, we are, now stop making me deaf! Please!" Juan, the Sootopolis Gym Leader groaned. "If he was strong when he first battled you, then learning under two Champions certainly made him stronger. Look at where he stands now! Second in this crowd of people!"

"I know," Norman sighed, "but I can't get over the fact that Ash was pronounced a criminal by his friends. He got off, but what if he is guilty? His friends certainly believed it; my daughter believed it!" In his mind, he wondered if Max was okay. Was he healthy? Would he be furious at him?

Juan looked uneasy. "I'm not sure what to say about that incident. Try to get the truth out, but be warned; they'll probably be pissed off at you."

"I know. But what else can I do?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Welcome, one and all, to the preliminaries of the Pokemon World Tournament!" Scott bellowed into a microphone, causing cheers to erupt from the audience. The sound was deafening; people walking towards the stadium to attend the tournament could hear it from outside.

"Settle down, please! Now, you all know, the first two rounds will be double battles, with each person using three Pokemon. This also applies to the next round, in two days. Now, for our competitors for the first round!"

"In the green side, two of Hoenn's strongest Gym Leaders, chosen by their region's League officials to participate; Norman of Petalburg City and Juan of Sootopolis City!" At this, a roar of applause erupted for the two Trainers as they walked forward. The girls in particular screamed for Juan's notice, some swooning at the sight of him. He grinned and bowed deeply, but Norman just nodded and stepped forward.

"In the red side, it's the legendary duo of Champions, two of the superstars of the Trainer's world; Max of Petalburg City and Tory of LaRousse City!" The crowd seemed to explode with wild cheers for the Champions. Both of them bowed deeply. For a moment, Max's and Norman's eyes met. A face of worry met a cold mask of determination. The Gym Leader gulped; Max was still far more furious than he could imagine.

"Trainers, select your Pokemon!"

"Swampert, let's show them what you're made of!"

"Slaking, come to my aid!"

"Kingdra, display your grace!"

"Salamence, show them your power!"

Slaking was the first to land, causing a slight tremor in the ground with its massive bulk. Looking at the brown-haired Trainer in front of it, memories surfaced in its mind. _'He's grown,'_ the Normal-type Pokemon seemed to be thinking. The two Dragon-types looked impassively at each other, sizing up the other's power and skill.

Swampert, on the other hand, looked at Slaking with a powerful determination, equal to that of its Trainer's. At that moment, the bond between them was strongest, because on the battlefield, both had one overriding goal; revenge.

Scott's voice rang out one more time. "Let the battle begin!"

"I'll deal with Juan. You take your time with your dad," Tory said, looking at Max. He nodded in thanks, before turning back to the battle.

Norman sighed; fighting was inevitable. "Slaking, Giga Impact!" The Pokemon coated itself in powerful purple energy, before jumping up and rushing towards the starter. Max's eyes widened at the sheer power of the attack, and opened his mouth for a command.

Before he could say anything, Swampert rose up a hand to stop its Trainer. It breathed in deeply, charging massive amounts of water into its mouth. It looked like a Hydro Pump, but…

"No, it's not Hydro Pump…" Max whispered. Then he grinned; the attack would be more than sufficient to stop Giga Impact. "Swampert, Hydro Cannon!"

The Water-type starter growled deeply, before firing the pressurized ball of water at its charging opponent. The two attacks met in midair, sending up smoke due to the collision. When it cleared, Slaking was standing shakily, surprised by the power, but still able to battle.

"All right, while it can't move! Ice Beam, then Hammer Arm!" the Hoenn Champion commanded. Due to its Truant ability, Slaking could only watch as the beam of ice struck it, freezing it solid, before Swampert rushed in with a glowing arm. A single strike was all that was necessary for the Lazy Pokemon to be knocked unconscious.

"Slaking is unable to battle. Trainer, select your next Pokemon!"

Norman nodded, and recalled his Slaking. "Thank you for everything," before sending out his next Pokemon: Sawsbuck. It stared at the starter impassively, ready for a command. Next to it, Kingdra was slammed against the wall, knocked out by a Dragon Claw. Salamence roared in triumph, prepared to fight its next opponent: Starmie.

"This doesn't look too good for our Champions; the Gym Leaders have a clear advantage!" one of the announcers boomed into his microphone from inside the stadium.

"Not if they can't hit us," Max murmured. "Swampert, Blizzard!" His loyal Pokemon puffed up its chest, before spewing out a massive storm of icy energy.

"Protect, then charge in with a Horn Leech!" Norman shouted. The Grass-and-Normal type coated itself in a protective green veil, before charging with glowing horns.

No one could believe the sight of this; how could a Pokemon keep its concentration with a Protect, while charging with another attack?! It was unheard of.

Caught off guard, Swampert roared in pain as it was flung back by the powerful Grass-type attack. Staggering to its feet, it growled again, displeased with the situation. Sawsbuck stood tall, unaffected by the wintery energy that tried to strike it down. As it growled, a blue aura seemed to coat Swampert's entire body; Torrent has activated.

_'Whoa, Dad's Sawsbuck is tough! When did he get one, anyway?! What to do… I got it!' _"Surf, then Ice Beam!"

The crowd murmured, unsure of his strategy. Was he trying to form up a wall of ice? Freezing the floor? What? Would it work against a Pokemon like Sawsbuck? The starter grinned, seeing its Trainer's plot several steps ahead of time. It rose up its arms, throwing a wave of water at the floor, before jumping and freezing the water with an Ice Beam.

"That won't work on us so easily! Break the ice!" Norman commanded. Sawsbuck stamped on the ice with its powerful hooves, causing ice to be destroyed on impact.

Max smirked. "Look again, Dad."

Norman's eyes widened. While Sawsbuck was giving itself solid ground to stand on, Swampert had used Double Team and surrounded the Grass-type.

"Ice Punch!"

Using the remaining ice, the clones seemed to skate on the field, charging with a glowing fist. Unsure of what to do, the unfortunate Pokemon could only stand there as a multitude of punches landed upon its body, knocking it out within three hits.

"Sawsbuck is unable to battle! Trainer, send out your final Pokemon."

Norman looked defeated; his son was utterly destroying his team. He recalled Sawsbuck, thanking it like he had done with Slaking. Then he made his final choice.

"Exploud, come to my aid!" The large Normal-type crashed into the ground with a fierce bellow.

The two Champions glanced at each other. Tory had recalled Salamence in favor of Metagross, who had defeated Starmie with ease. Facing a Ludicolo and an Exploud, brute force would not suffice. A change of tactics would be necessary.

"Swampert, Ice Torpedo!" The Water-type lunged with a Waterfall, before freezing itself with an Ice Beam.

"Metagross, Elemental Meteor!" Metagross covered its fist with four colors of energy, before floating up and aiming the punch at Ludicolo.

Wallace paled; the attack would surely devastate Ludicolo. "Hydro Pump, hurry!" The Carefree Pokemon, for once, looked extremely careful of the attack. It wasted no time in spitting out a concentrated blast of water.

"Oh boy, this is gonna be difficult to withstand," Norman said. "Exploud, Hyper Voice!" Exploud took a deep breath, before shouting in an excruciating manner; audience members were nearly knocked down by the sheer volume and power of the attack. Surely the attack would obliterate the ice!

Max and Tory grinned. "Switch targets!"

The Gym Leaders' eyes widened as they saw Metagross move its frozen companion in front of Ludicolo's Hydro Pump with a Psychic, before charging at Exploud. The frozen torpedo cut right through the water, before slamming into the Carefree Pokemon. It was blown back into the wall, where it slid down. Because Metagross didn't have ears and it was a Steel-type, it was barely bothered by the sonic waves, as it brought its fist down on its Normal-type opponent.

"Exploud and Ludicolo are unable to battle! The winners of this match are Max and Tory!" The crowd cheered wildly as they saw the two Trainers claim victory over such powerful adversaries. They recalled their Pokemon with thanks, along with the two Gym Leaders.

Wallace and Tory shook hands, along with Max. Then father and son looked at each other one more time. Norman opened his mouth to say something, but Max turned around and left the stadium. His friend winced, before leaving with him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ash and Cynthia followed the young Trainer as he left the stadium, worried for his well-being. Ash was the first to catch up to Max. "Are you all right?"

Max thought for a moment, before shaking his head slightly. "How could he just expect me to forgive him after what he did?! You guys saw him, right?"

"I know, but we don't really have the answers," said Cynthia. "You need to make this choice by yourself." The conversation was interrupted by a group of loud voices.

"Hand over the Pokemon, and no one gets hurt!"

The four Champions turned around to see a group of men and women in red robes standing around a scientist. He was clutching a Pokeball in his arms, and he did not look like he was willing to surrender.

"It's Team Magma… but how?" whispered Max, not wanting to reveal their locations to the occupied grunts. "They were disbanded. His thoughts were interrupted as the grunts tried persuasion again.

"Come on, old man! Stop being so stubborn!"

"No, I can't let you take this Pokemon!" the person holding the Pokeball cried.

"Fine, you asked for it! Mightyena, Crunch!" The Bite Pokemon lunged at the scientist with glowing fangs. He gulped and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, a blast of electricity struck the Mightyena, knocking it into several Grunts. The attack came from Ash's Pikachu, who was ready to fight Team Magma once again.

"Well, what do we have here?" one Grunt growled. "A couple of Champions who think they can screw with our operations. Hate to break it to you, but we've got a new arsenal of Pokemon, and we won't be stopped by punks this time."

"We don't THINK we can screw with your operations," Max said. "We KNOW we can screw with your operations." His friends rolled their eyes and chuckled at this.

"A wise guy, huh? Let's see how you like this! Magmortar, Lava Plume!" the leading Grunt roared, tossing up a Pokeball. The Fire-type spewed out a wave of lava from its arm cannons, aiming to destroy the Trainers in front of it.

Ash, Max, Cynthia, and Tory grabbed their Pokeballs, ready to take on their next great challenge.

_**A/N: And another cliffhanger! I'm such a terrible person. XD**_

_** Anyway, I'm also planning on writing a new story. Check often; it should be up soon.**_

_** For that story, I plan on writing it and this one simultaneously, so stay tuned for both.**_

_** Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	16. AN (No, it's not being canceled)

_**Hey, everyone! Red Aura Guard here, and I have some news about this story.**_

_**Calm your jumping Eggs and Nuggets, people! I'm not canceling anything!**_

_**It's just going on a short hiatus, only about a week or so. Sorry about not telling you earlier, but I've been working on my other story, "Team Aqua's Ace". Also, I need to organize my thoughts on this current story, for maximum quality and YOUR satisfaction (which leads to my own satisfaction, knowing that I wrote a good story and you all enjoyed it).**_

_**In the meantime, enjoy my other story, and I'll see you around!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 16: VS Team Magma**_

_**A/N: What, no week hiatus? Yeah, oh well. Great for you guys! :D**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Tory was the first to send out a Pokemon; a massive Tyranitar that roared as it stood on the ground. When it saw the flow of lava, it rolled its eyes before summoning a Rock Slide to impede the attack's progress. The rocks did more than just nullify the Lava Plume; they collided with Magmortar and knocked it out.

"Hmm, as expected of a Champion," the Grunt said as he recalled his fallen Pokemon. "Let's see how you deal with this. Rhyperior, tear them apart!" The Rock-and-Ground type Pokemon landed with a thud, standing to a height equal to Tyranitar's.

Ash looked worried; the Rhyperior looked extremely powerful. "Will Tyranitar be all right?"

"I actually don't know," Max muttered. "Tory's Tyranitar packs a serious punch, but it looks like that thing does as well."

"Rhyperior, Hammer Arm!"

"Of course," groaned Max. The Drill Pokemon moved at surprising speeds towards its part-Dark type opponent, slamming a heavy arm into its stomach. Tyranitar groaned and staggered back, suffering from the immense damage it took.

"Oh, screw the rules of battle!" Ash snapped. "Sceptile, help us out!" The Grass-type starter seemed to glide in midair, before seeing its large opponent. Sceptile didn't need instructions; it simply dashed towards Rhyperior with a glowing blade; Leaf Blade. Surprisingly, Rhyperior caught the speeding Pokemon and flung it towards Rhyperior, unbalancing the large Rock-and-Dark type.

"No, Tyranitar!" Tory yelled. "Pick up Sceptile and use Aqua Tail!" The Dark-type gently plucked the dazed starter from its body, before twisting around with a watery tail and slamming its tail towards Rhyperior.

Without a command, Rhyperior retaliated with another Hammer Arm, blocking the Aqua Tail and knocking down Tyranitar for good before turning towards the still-stunned Sceptile. Its fist swirled with fiery energy before slamming its fist into the starter, nearly incinerating it. Before the damage could become irreparable, Ash quickly recalled his defeated Grass-type, glaring at the offending Pokemon.

Max and Tory paled slightly. They both knew of Tyranitar's incredible offensive and defensive power, which was capable of even dealing with powerful Fighting-types. For a Rhyperior to defeat it within minutes, and even Ash's mighty Sceptile; Team Magma did come better prepared for their comeback.

The Grunts smirked. "Had enough yet? If not, then deal with these guys!" They tossed all of their Pokeballs towards the group of Champions, ignoring the scientist they were trying to rob. Among the group of enemy Pokemon included Claydol, Houndoom, and Torkoal, along with the standard Crobat and Mightyena.

Cynthia tossed up two Pokeballs, sending out Garchomp and Gastrodon. The Dragon-type roared at its opponents, while Gastrodon simply stood there awaiting instructions. Along with her, the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Champions sent out Snorlax, a Porygon2, and Hydreigon respectively.

Max blinked. Porygon2 was Tory's team's ace, and for him to use it now; he was clearly taking the Grunts seriously. Not much surprise that Tory was being serious for once, but for him to use his best Pokemon? _Cynthia's right as usual; life is full of surprises._

"Garchomp, Earthquake! Gastrodon, use Muddy Water!" The two Pokemon, understanding the instructions perfectly, threw off the Grunts with their tactics. Gastrodon leapt onto Garchomp's back and fired off the Muddy Water attack, while the Dragon-type slammed its claws into the ground for its Earthquake. Unfortunately for the Champion's Pokemon, Team Magma's Pokemon knew exactly how to counter it. The Pokemon that could use Flamethrower used it on the Muddy Water, evaporating it. In the meantime, several Claydol used Earth Power to nullify the Earthquake from Garchomp.

With the enemy Pokemon distracted, Snorlax leapt up with a Hyper Beam to the ground and did what it did best; fall on things. Putting a rather fast end to their fighting, the Normal-type crushed several of the Pokemon and, surprisingly, did not fall asleep.

As the Grunts tried to understand how a thousand pounds of flab could fly, Hydreigon used its three mouths to shoot a trio of Dragon Pulse attacks, slowly moving its heads to mow down as many as possible. Upon contact, the floating Claydol were shot down, knocked out. Then came Porygon2's turn to wreak carnage.

The small Normal-type shot a ring of three energies at a rapid-fire pace while also emitting Thunderbolts from its body. This, along with the backup of its teammates, finished off the last of the Houndooms and Torkoals. The only thing left to deal with was Rhyperior.

Ash and Max glanced at each other, irritated. "Say, doesn't this remind you of the fight with your Aggron?" the older Trainer commented. His friend nodded in agreement, sighing. Suddenly, they both grinned wickedly; they knew what to do.

"Hydreigon, Surf!"

"Snorlax, Body Slam!"

The two Pokemon had expressions similar to those of their Trainers', knowing what to do. The Dragon-type moved its three heads together, before simultaneously spitting out a massive volume of water upwards. This formed a massive wave that, when it slammed into Rhyperior, knocked it back and over.

When it looked up, the Rock-type Pokemon's expression was extremely comical. Its eyes bulged and its mouth dropped at the flying Snorlax about to land on it. Despite the resistance to Body Slam and Rhyperior's incredible defenses, there was still a massive amount of weight falling from high in the sky.

The Grunts all paled and backed towards each other at the sight of all their fallen Pokemon. It helped that Snorlax, Hydreigon, Garchomp, Gastrodon, and Porygon2 were all glaring at the group of Team Magma members.

"You know, it's pretty surprising how menacing a Porygon2 and a Snorlax can look, right?" Cynthia commented.

"Yep."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ten minutes later, the police officers came and arrested all of the Grunts. As they did this, one officer stepped up towards the Champions.

"Thank you for taking them down! We've been looking for them for ages, but now they're finally caught. That's one step towards the re-arrests of the criminal groups!"

"One step that we had to take, and we're probably going to take the rest of the steps. They're probably gonna take the credit, too," the brown-haired Trainer grumbled as the officer walked away, making Tory snicker slightly. Cynthia didn't want to be rude, but she personally felt that the Interpol had done a poor job of keeping the criminals contained. _But maybe it wasn't their fault; maybe there was another large organization that broke them out, or possibly there were bombs involved. Either way, it's not entirely the police force's fault. Right?_

Turning to his trusty Dragon-type, Max said, "Can you follow them until the crooks are safely behind bars? I don't want to take any chances, especially since they broke out once before." Hydreigon nodded. "Thanks, buddy. Stay out of sight; we don't want them to think you're one of their Pokemon. We'll meet you at the villa." With a lick to its Trainer's face with all three heads, making him laugh, the pseudo-Legendary took off in the direction of the police cars.

Ash blinked suddenly. "Wait, what time is it?" He checked his phone, and nearly swore. "Gary and Paul are about to battle! We're after them, Cynthia!"

"Oh, dear. Well, if we're late, at least we have an excuse."

"I don't think Paul's going to be happy either way if we're late. Let's go!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The four of them made it to their seats with only seconds to spare; Scott had just finished introducing Paul, Gary, and their opponents. The unlikely tag team sent out their Pokemon first; their starters, Torterra and Blastoise.

"You ready to lose? We're unstoppable together!" the man cried.

"That's right! Drake and I are gonna sweep you!" his girlfriend said, backing her boyfriend up.

"That's us you're describing. Get it right," Max and Tory joked quietly from the stands as the couple sent out a Meganium and a Dodrio.

"Say, how did you guys do?" Ash asked his other friends.

"We won," they said simultaneously.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What?! What do you mean they failed?!" the man snarled. He had heard about the Grunts' failure as he was drinking coffee in his office. In the shadows, his mysterious Pokemon snarled.

"T-t-they were attacked b-by the four Champions," stammered the unfortunate messenger. "E-even the Pokemon they w-were assigned to failed… They've been a-arrested." He was terrified of his leader; the leader was known for his incredibly quick temper.

His voice was deceptively calm. "Do you know what they say?" The messenger shook his head. "A good messenger always has one foot on the stirrup. Where's yours?" When the unfortunate man tried to flee, the mysterious leader gave a command to his hidden Pokemon.

"Dispose of him."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Furrett and Poliwrath are unable to battle! The winners are Paul of Veilstone and Gary of Pallet!"

The crowd cheered, regardless of the fight being so short; Torterra and Blastoise had decimated their opponents with such power, the unfortunate couple paled at the sight of their fighting opponents. Between the Grass-type starter's Frenzy Plants and the Water-type starter's Hydro Cannons, it was all over too soon. After quickly shaking hands, the opposing teams departed in opposite directions.

"Nice job, you two. But couldn't you have gone a bit easier on them? That was brutal," Ash commented as he and his friends met up with Paul and Gary.

The purple-haired Trainer shrugged. "Not really. They seemed a bit too confident in their ability to take us. Didn't you hear them?"

"For once, I agree with him," Gary added. "We did have to take them down a notch, but maybe you're right, Ash. Well, it's your turn. Good luck, not that you'll need it."

"Thanks," Ash and Cynthia said at the same time as they stepped out towards the battlefield.

"Welcome to the final round of today's preliminaries!" Scott boomed. "I'm sure excited for today's final match! Are you?!" The crowd responded with a massive roar of approval.

"In the green side, are the combination of the bane of Dragons and her mysterious companion! Give it up for Georgia and Vincent!" The crowd cheered loudly, knowing of the pair's considerable skill in battling.

"And in the red side, are the two legends of the battling world! The couple that has every fanboy and fangirl drooling on sight! Sorry, fanboys and fangirls. Give it up for Ash and Cynthia!" The audience exploded into cheers, after laughing at Scott's rather true joke.

Both couples shook hands. "Good luck to you," the Sinnoh Champion said warmly.

"Thanks," Georgia replied with a grin. "You too. Not that you'll need it. Still, we can't make this too easy for you, right?"

With that, both opposing teams went to their respective sides.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hmm, I wonder what they'll lead with," May commented.

"Ash is probably going to lead with Charizard or Sceptile," Max mused. "Maybe that Dragonite he caught a while ago. Or… I'm pretty sure Cynthia's going to lead with Roserade. Not Garchomp, though. That won't be fun."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Don't lead with Garchomp," Ash muttered as he saw Cynthia reach for her ace's Pokeball. "Georgia specializes in taking out Dragon-types, especially those like Garchomp." His girlfriend nodded in thanks and reached for a different Pokeball.

"Trainers, send out your Pokemon!"

"Sceptile, I choose you!"

"Lucario, battle dance!"

"Beartic, let's go!"

"Tyranitar, I call upon your help!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Well, I was wrong about Cynthia's lead," Max said dryly. "Well, the lineup works better this way. Sceptile'll take out Tyranitar, and Beartic'll fold to Lucario."

"I wouldn't count Georgia and Vincent out too quickly," Tory warned. "They look pretty tough, too."

"Eh, we'll see what happens."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Are both sides ready?" The four competitors nodded. "Very well, then. Battle begin!"

"Sceptile, Bullet Seed!" This made Georgia and Vincent blink; wasn't Bullet Seed a rather weak move? His intent was made clear, however, as the Grass-type shot seeds at a rapid-fire speed at its opponents' feet, making the Pokemon leap from foot to foot in pain.

"You know what to do. Swords Dance!" Cynthia said calmly. Lucario promptly began waving its arms around in a mystifying way, boosting its physical strength.

"Enough of this! Rock Slide for a wall!" Vincent yelled. His Pokemon roared, before summoning rocks from the sky to crash into the ground in front of its team, shielding them from harm for the moment.

"Beartic, jump on Tyranitar and use Icicle Crash!" Georgia ordered. The Ice-type Pokemon leapt onto its partner's shoulders, before aiming a large icicle with both hands at Sceptile.

"Bullet Punch!" Before Beartic could react, Lucario sped forward with glowing fists, breaking the icicle and landing multiple blows on the Ice-type. Surprisingly, it was still able to stand.

Ash suddenly smirked; he knew how to deal with this situation. "Iron Tail! You know what to do!"

"What is he thinking?" Vincent muttered. "Those rocks are boulders. One Iron Tail won't be enough. Just in case, though..." He raised his voice. "Tyranitar, stand in front of Beartic and get ready." The Armor Pokemon stood in front of its shaken partner and prepared to block any rocks that might slam into them.

When Sceptile leapt _over _the rocks and aimed an Iron Tail at Tyranitar, the unfortunate Rock-type Pokemon was caught off guard, and was pummeled on the head by the super-effective attack, dazing it. That left Lucario to break the rocks with a Close Combat, and use Psychic to fling the rocks at Beartic.

"Beartic, Blizzard! Hurry!" Georgia said hastily. As the rocks flew over, the Ice-type inhaled quickly and blew a massive blast of icy air, redirecting the attack and forming a pseudo-Avalanche. Unfortunately for the Champions, they could not react in time, and Sceptile and Lucario were left fairly injured. Even more unfortunately, Overgrow wasn't activated, yet the starter was tired.

"Time to end this," they muttered together. Then they gave their orders.

"Bullet Punch on Beartic! Finish it!"

"Giga Drain on Tyranitar! Don't let up until it falls!"

Vincent and Georgia paled; the combination would surely finish their Pokemon.

"Beartic, Brick Break!"

"Tyranitar, Dark Pulse on the Giga Drain!"

The Pokemon attempted to stop their attackers. Beartic swung a glowing arm at the speeding Fighting-type, and Tyranitar unleashed a mass of dark energy at the green tendrils, but it was for naught.

Lucario slammed its fists into Beartic multiple times before the Ice-type could react, knocking it out of the fight. Likewise, the dark energy failed to stop the Giga Drain, which curled around Tyranitar, holding it still and draining its energy until it fell unconscious.

"Beartic and Tyranitar are unable to battle! Sceptile and Lucario are the winners!" The Champions' Pokemon grinned at each other, proud of having taken down their opponents while also enjoying the unusually fun battle. "Trainers, send out your next Pokemon!"

"Okay, then. Marowak, I call upon your-" Before Vincent could complete his statement, his phone rang. Looking at the number, his expression became worried. Answering it and listening to the voice at the other end made him pale.

"Georgia, we've got an emergency." Whispering the message to his girlfriend, she paled and nodded.

"There is a large issue at hand, so we forfeit," they announced. "Well, more like a massive issue," Georgia added, seeing the disappointed looks in the audience. "Really sorry, everyone. Great battle, Ash and Cynthia." With that, they took off towards the exits.

"Well, then…" Scott said in surprise, before regaining his composure. "That ends today's battles! Come back in three days for the next round! The brackets will be updated in two days, so check then! Until next time!"

_**A/N: And that's a wrap!**_

_**Say, didn't I say that there was gonna be a week or so hiatus? Yeah, I found some inspiration for this chapter! :P**_

_**So, Ash, Cynthia and co. have fought their battles, and there's an emergency that Vincent and Georgia must deal with! What could it be?**_

_**Read, review (seriously, please review), and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~ Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 17: Battle between friends, Part 1**_

_**A/N: Thank you all for your kind comments and constructive criticism. I really appreciate all of it!**_

_**I know that I screwed up the ages a bit too much; I'm sorry!**_

_**Anyway, enjoy!**_

"Nice job, you guys."

"Thanks!"

The group had met up outside the main entrance of the stadium, after the battles were over for the day. Ash and Cynthia were stretching after what could have been a fairly intense battle. Paul suddenly remembered something.

"Hey, Tory. I was watching you battle, and it may have just been me, but were you holding back a bit?"

The white-haired Trainer was stunned; no one was ever able to guess that before. "How the hell did you know?"

"Some small hints," the Veilstone Trainer replied. "One of them was the fact that you didn't have Metagross use Thunderpunch or Agility. A combo of the two would have made it impossible for Juan to even try anything. Another thing was that your eyes were slightly more closed than usual, indicating well-hidden boredom. Nice try, but you can't hide that from me." He turned to Ash and Cynthia. "You two as well. You could have crushed them within two minutes at the most."

"Not bad, not bad at all," Tory replied, still slightly shaken at being read like a book. "Looks like we're busted, bro."

Max shrugged. "Hey, we've got orders from Ash and Cynthia; hold back until the third round. And they imposed it on themselves, too."

The rest of the group looked at the dating pair, who smiled. "Guilty."

_~Flashback~_

_ It was a practice battle between the pair of Max and Tory and the pair of Ash and Cynthia. The formers' Swampert and Porygon2 were battling against the combo of Pikachu and Garchomp. After a very close battle, in which the older Champions' Pokemon were breathing raggedly and were visibly injured, the younger pair's Pokemon fell._

_ "Aww, crap. Not again," Max groaned. "So close."_

_ Tory chuckled. "Ah well, we'll get them next time."_

_ "That's what you say every other time we fight them!"_

_ "And you say it the rest of the time!" As they bantered with each other, their teachers walked up to them._

_ "Great battle! Man, that's the first time in a while Pikachu's been put to the test like that," Ash grinned._

_ "Indeed, you two keep getting stronger by the day," Cynthia complimented them. "Something concerns me slightly, though. What about the other competitors? Will this be fair for them? What do you think, Ash?" Max and Tory thought for a moment, before shaking their heads and laughing._

_ The Kanto Champion considered the situation for a moment; Cynthia was right, they were reaching that point of unfairness to other Trainers, if they hadn't already crossed the line already. "True. All right, how about this? Max, Tory, I want you two to take it easy on the competition until the third round or until we run into some… old companions." At this, his voice and eyes darkened slightly, concerning his friends, before he caught himself. "Sorry. Anyway, can you please do that?"_

_ "Sure!" the younger duo said._

_~End Flashback~_

"So, when was this?" Rosa asked.

"About two weeks ago," the Hoenn Champion replied. "Last tag battle against Ash and Cynthia, and it was brutal. The police dropped by because they thought we were smashing a building or something."

"Then they saw the broken battlefield, I'm guessing?" Gary snorted.

"Yep."

"Well, what now?" Isaac asked. "Most of our Pokemon are pretty tired. Obviously, we gotta go to the Center. But what then?"

Everyone thought for a moment. Suddenly, Dawn grinned. "I heard they're selling some T-shirts and stuff for the tournament over at the stands, along with a bunch of other things. I think they're even giving some lectures on some of the recently discovered artifacts and ruins. Wanna check them out?"

At the mere mention of ancient history, Cynthia's ears rose. "Yes, I most certainly agree with you. Let's go!"

The men of the group wilted at the thought of spending a day in that manner for the second time. _No, not again… Ash had better not backstab us again, _Paul thought to himself, getting ready to run.

"Well, first order of business is to go to the Pokemon Center. Let's do that," Dawn said, looking at Paul's face. _Well, at least he'll have a chance to run, _she thought, giggling silently.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Here you are! Your Pokemon are all healed! Come back whenever you need a break," the nurse at the Center said cheerfully, a Chansey waving goodbye.

"Thank you," Ash and co. said at the same time, before exiting the building. Upon stepping outside, Cynthia smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.

"Ash, don't you wanna go with me to the exhibits? I heard Pyramid King Brandon is going to be there." At the mention of the Frontier Brain, Ash immediately nodded happily, excited to see the man after so long. He glanced at Max, Tory, Gary, Paul, and Isaac; Max and Paul shuddered. The last time they saw that look, he had turned on them in the aerial chase from Cynthia.

"How about this?" May suggested. "It'll be a multi battle, with one side wanting to shop and the other side of those who don't. If you win, you don't have to come along. If we win, you have to. Fair enough?"

The men, save Ash, huddled up. "Is it worth the risk?" Isaac asked. "Ash and Cynthia are there, along with all three of the girls! On top of that, didn't Rosa stand toe-to-toe with Max?"

"Hmm… I think we can pull a win. It'll take too long for more than one Pokemon each, so that's probably gonna be the format. Ash and Cynthia are gonna be a problem, and so will Rosa, but the other two shouldn't be too big a challenge," Tory replied.

"Those two are gonna turn the tides against us," Paul hissed. "If you two can't take them down, then will we all be able to?"

Gary nodded. "I agree. This is gonna be tough. You saw what they did to Vincent and Georgia, and they were holding back!"

"Well, we can't escape, so we gotta fight!" Max snapped. Then he smirked. "Besides, Tory and I got some… secret weapons. You'll see."

"Very well," the Veilstone Trainer said. Raising his voice, he said, "We accept!"

"Good!" Cynthia said. "Let's use the Center's battlefield."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"This will be an unofficial five-on-five multi battle!" Ash declared. "Each person uses one Pokemon each, and the winning side is determined by whichever side still has Pokemon standing. That fair?"

"Yep!" the Hoenn Champion replied. _I thought so! It'll take too long even with two Pokemon a person, so this should work. _"Wish-Granter of the Millennium Comet- ah, screw it! Jirachi, help a guy out!" He tossed his Pokeball, revealing the Steel-and-Psychic type Legendary Pokemon.

**"Hey, what's up? Got some people you need beaten down?" **Jirachi asked his long-time friend.

"Well, we need to beat Ash and Cynthia, along with the other three," Max said sheepishly.

**"Dammit! Not again! Every time we fight them, it always ends in failure! Why are they so damn powerful?!" **Looking at the stares from his spectators, he said, **"Well, it's true! Oh, wait. It's not gonna be like the usual battles, huh? Okay, then!**

"Anyway…" Tory said. "Deoxys, can you help me?" His Pokeball opened to reveal the Psychic-type in a flash of light. If a Deoxys could look annoyed, this one certainly did. Looking at its teammates and enemies, the Legendary Pokemon relaxed, cracked its knuckles and prepared to fight.

Paul released his Torterra, Gary sent out his Blastoise, and Isaac took a moment to smirk. Before sending out his legendary Raikou, catching everyone off guard. They knew about Jirachi and Deoxys, but Raikou being caught?

May tossed up a Pokeball to reveal Blaziken. Dawn did the same, except for Empoleon. Rosa sent out her Serperior, and Cynthia's Togekiss flew up into the air. That left the Kanto Champion to reveal his Pokemon.

"You know, this looks like it'll be tough. So I'm not holding back at all! Legendary phoenix of Johto, I call upon your aid! Ho-oh!" His Pokeball opened with a massive flash of light, revealing the elegant, beautiful flying Pokemon.

**"WHY?! Why do you do this to us?" **Jirachi screamed. **"Every time it looks like we have a good chance, THIS happens!" **Then he grinned. **"Well, this time's gonna be different! You hear?"**

** "Bring it on," **Ho-oh boomed in the language of the Pokemon. **"I'll take you down any day, you metal pixie!"**

** "Is that so, Mr. Overgrown peacock?! Come and get some!"**

** "Now, calm down," **Deoxys said sensibly. **"Let's just beat each other up and go home."**

** "Shut up, you mutated common cold virus! We're arguing here!" **Ho-oh grumbled.

The DNA Pokemon looked ready to explode. **"I don't care if you're one of the most famous Legendaries of all time, you are going down!" **Deoxys seemed to screech, electricity crackling in its hand.** "Cook like the chicken you are!"**

"Let's go!" every Trainer roared.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"We'll lead!" the Orre Trainer shouted. "Raikou, use Thunder on their side!" The Electric-type shot electricity up into the clouds, which promptly started striking its opponents' side of the field and scattering the Pokemon.

"Ho-oh, Sacred Fire to nullify it, then Extrasensory to roast THEIR field!" the Legendary Pokemon's Trainer commanded.

**"Very well!" **Ho-oh screeched, before using its wings to send a plume of fire at the electricity, causing an explosion and fiery debris. Using its psychic powers, it threw the flames at its Trainer's enemies, threatening to burn them.

"Rapid Whirlpool!" Gary yelled, knowing how to deal with the attack. Blastoise spun into a Rapid Spin while also shooting water out of its cannons, causing a defensive Whirlpool to douse the flames. _Good thing that wasn't the read deal, or we would have been toast either way… _"Keep spinning, but leave out the water!"

"All right, then!" Paul said. "Wood Hammer on Blastoise, and keep going! Aim for Empoleon with your attack!" His starter glowed with green energy, before slamming into the spinning Water-type and sending it flying towards Togekiss and running full-tilt towards the blue-haired Trainer's Pokemon.

_Time for Buizel's strategy, _Dawn thought. Raising her voice, she said, "Freeze the ground and Ice Jet!" Empoleon dashed forward with an Aqua Jet, spinning to allow maximum water spread, before freezing itself and the soaked ground. The attack's speed allowed it to not get stuck on its own frozen ground and instead meet Torterra head-on. The two staggered back after the collision, stunned and both injured.

"Serperior, Coil into a Leaf Blade! Aim for Deoxys!" Rosa said. Her starter curled up, tensing. Before springing into the air and descending rapidly, tail glowing with power. Its attack struck; dirt kicked up in a massive cloud. Peering closely, however, Serperior saw a terrifying sight; there was no Deoxys at the point of impact! The Grass-type felt a finger tap its shoulder, before a massive Fire Punch struck its body; the Grass-type wasn't able to withstand the assault, and slumped over in defeat. _And so quickly, too…_

Cynthia smirked; good thing she used Togekiss. "Air Slash, you know what to do!" The Flying-type nodded, watching the flying turtle. Before dodging to the side and using several Air Slashes at once. The spinning discs surrounded Blastoise's gyrating form, controlling its movements. "Now, return to sender!" Her Flying-type's eyes glowed with an Extrasensory, before taking control of its attack and tossing an even more dangerous Blastoise towards its partners.

Jirachi and Deoxys teleported out of the way, and Raikou leapt above the spinning shell, but Torterra was slammed by the Rapid Spin and Air Slashes, nearly knocking it out of the match. The Grass-type starter roared, and a green aura surrounded it; Overgrow. As for Blastoise, it emerged from its shell with spinning eyes, barely able to keep its balance.

"All right, time for secret weapon number one," Max said. "Draco Meteor!"

"WHAT?!"

Only Ash, Cynthia, Tory, and Max himself were unsurprised by this; they were all present when Jirachi learned the attack. Without warning, the Steel-type Legendary concentrated a ball of blue energy between its hands, before firing it up into the sky, where it broke into a multitude of meteors for the actual attack.

"All right, then. Fire Blast, full charge!" May commanded. Blaziken opened its mouth and spat out several kanjis of fire, destroying some of the meteors and kicking up smoke. Yet this smoke was its undoing; because of it, the Fire-type couldn't see other meteors coming and was hit by some. It collapsed to the ground, defeated.

Empoleon was able to shield itself from the attack with its flippers, the Draco Meteor not doing nearly as much because of its superior defenses and Steel typing. Dawn sighed in relief at the sight of her starter holding up; Empoleon would not go down just yet.

Cynthia's Togekiss was flying around frantically, dodging meteors. The only thing that spared it was its training with Garchomp; it knew how to dodge Draco Meteors. Even so, some struck home, knocking Togekiss closer to its defeat. The attack was familiar, yes. But this one seemed to be even stronger, and the Sinnoh Champion pondered why. _Oh, no… He used Calm Minds while we were distracted! Our only hope is that Jirachi won't be able to move for a bit; just until we can land a good hit!_

The flying Legendary, with beats of its powerful wings and Extrasensory, was actually able to redirect the attacks aimed at it. Doing so, however, was exhausting, even for a Legendary such as Ho-oh. Ash suddenly heard a voice in his head. _Chosen one, look out for Deoxys. Jirachi will not be able to move from the sheer recoil, although its attacks should still be just as strong. Deoxys, however, will certainly be able to- WHOA! _Ho-oh's message was interrupted by the DNA Pokemon; it slammed into it with a Thunderpunch and Extremespeed while in Attack form, knocking the bird Pokemon away and badly injuring it. Sure enough, Jirachi was panting in midair, exhausted from its effort.

"Heat Wave and Tailwind into a Sky Attack! Plow through Deoxys into Jirachi!" Ash commanded. Ho-oh nodded, beating its wings for speed and heat, before diving for a returning Deoxys with a glowing aura around it. The Tailwind cancelled the charge time, and the Heat Wave turned the Sky Attack into a stronger variant of a Flare Blitz, except without the recoil. The two collided in a massive explosion that shook the entire field. When the smoke cleared, Ho-oh looked ready to collapse, shaking on its formerly sturdy legs. Deoxys wasn't so lucky; the impact was sufficient to knock it out.

Tory recalled his fallen Legendary with a rueful grin. "Thanks for your best, buddy." _We'll avenge you, don't worry. Hopefully._

Jirachi shook itself into focus just in time to see a Hydro Pump aimed at it; Empoleon's Torrent-boosted attack knocked it back several feet, before the Psychic-type shook it off. _"That would have certainly been enough to beat me were it not for the Calm Mind boosts._

"One more effort, Torterra! Frenzy Plant on their whole side!" Paul pleaded. His starter stayed sturdy on its feet, slamming its front legs into the ground to summon the massive roots.

Dawn gulped at the sight; the attack was unavoidable. "Try a Metal Claw!" she shouted, already predicting the ending. Her loyal Pokemon lunged forward with glowing flippers, slashing through the roots. However, for every plant it struck down, several more would take its place. Finally, one hit its back, stunning it, before more roots landed on its shaky form, defeating it once and for all.

"End this with Air Slash!" the Sinnoh Champion said, wanting to defeat Torterra while it was immobile. Togekiss charged up energy in its wings, taking aim at the immobilized starter.

"Enough. We're done."

Cynthia was stunned; Paul had just surrendered, even though he could have had Torterra stand up to the attack, or had one of his teammates help him. Before anyone could react, the Veilstone Trainer recalled his Pokemon, before saying, "Thanks, Torterra."

She smiled, relieved that Togekiss wouldn't need to strike down Torterra; it was clearly just about down, anyway. Cynthia was even more relieved that Paul knew when to pull his Pokemon out of a nearly-unsalvageable situation. The Paul from several years ago would not have done that; the change was gratifying to see, even though she saw it happen multiple times while in Unova.

The remaining Trainers stood off against each other, eyes locked in determination and a single thought; _We've got to win this._

_**A/N: And yet another cliffhanger! I am so sorry, but I didn't want this to run on.**_

_**Anyway, sorry about not updating recently; been busy. I saw Man of Steel today; it was overall pretty good. The beginning could have been better, though.**_

_**Read, review, and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_

_**PS: Could you give me ideas on my other story? Post them on the reviews of THAT story; reviews and ideas for this one on THIS story, please.**_

_**Thanks!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 18: Distressing News (like how long it took for this chapter to be added)**_

_**A/N: Sheesh, nearly 3 weeks since my last update? I'm too busy… Don't worry, I'm continuing this; it's just not gonna be as often.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Come on, man! You gotta win this!" Tory snapped. "Remember the last time we went shopping with them?! Avenge us!"

"All right, all right!" Max retorted. "It's hard enough with YOU out, but with this stress? Just shut up and let me work my magic! Speaking of magic, use Psychic on the Sacred Fire!" Jirachi used its psychic powers to stop the blast of fire in its tracks and dissipate it before it could scorch the Steel-type.

Ash sighed; his student was more attentive than he looked. "So much for that. Oh well; Recover off some damage!" Ho-oh glowed with a golden light, signifying the restoration of its fighting strength.

Cynthia was worried; it was a three-on-two scenario, with Max still going very strong on their side. Garchomp looked dizzy, and Ho-oh looked ready to fall over, even after the Recover. Even so, they wouldn't give up. "Earthquake!" Garchomp slammed its feet on the ground, causing shockwaves that would have knocked out Blastoise and Raikou if it weren't for Jirachi levitating them.

"Extremespeed and Thunderbolt!" Isaac commanded. His Legendary shot lightning from its back as it sped towards Ho-oh at invisible speeds. Boosted by Psychic, it would surely take Ho-oh out of the match. Unless…

"Flare Whirlwind!" Ho-oh beat its wings in a Whirlwind while also throwing in a Heat Wave, spinning Raikou out of the way and dealing damage. "Now, finish it with Fire Blast!" It only took a single kanji of fire to blast Raikou into the sky and defeat it.

Isaac recalled his fallen/falling Pokemon before it could slam into the ground. "Thanks for everything. Take a good rest." _Max, Gary, WIN ALREADY!_

Gary looked at his opponents and thought hard. How were they going to win? Max might stand toe-to-toe with one of them, but both at once without Tory? "Well, we gotta try! Let's finish this with Hydro Siege!"

"What?"

The answer to Ash's and Cynthia's question was answered as Blastoise aimed one cannon each at Garchomp and Ho-oh. Before either target could blink, Blastoise shot a massive barrage of Hydro Cannon shots at them. The compressed water blasted Garchomp and made it stagger, while Ho-oh was barely conscious when the attack ended. However, the effort sapped the last of Blastoise's strength, and it collapsed.

"Finish Ho-oh with Thunderbolt, and FAST!" Max yelled. His Pokemon shot a massive bolt of electricity at its Flying-type opponent, finally causing its large opponent to fall, defeated.

_Damn, I didn't expect Ho-oh to go down at all. Oh well. _"Thank you for your efforts, Ho-oh, Ash muttered as he recalled his Pokemon.

Cynthia and Max stood in front of each other, both smiling. The older Trainer broke the silence. "Looks like this is the last blow, then?"

"Oh, yeah," her protégé replied. "Let's do this! End this with Ice Comet!" Jirachi sped towards Garchomp glowing with silver and pale blue energy; a mix of Iron Head and Ice Punch.

"Dragon Impact!" Said Dragon-type charged towards its small opponent with a combo of Dragon Rush and Giga Impact, aiming to overwhelm its enemy with sheer force.

Several inches before impact, Jirachi suddenly sped back and clapped its hands together, causing a small explosion of icy energy to erupt. It didn't harm Garchomp, but it made it stop in surprise. The Legendary flew back, surprising Cynthia. What scared her, however, was seeing its third eye open.

_Oh, shit… I fell for it…_

No less than fifty blasts of light burst from Jirachi's center, smashing everywhere on the field. The attack was none other than Doom Desire, and it would certainly bring doom to the pseudo-Legendary.

Garchomp did its best to dodge and block the rays, but it was for naught; one pierced its defenses and the rest exploded all over it. When the smoke cleared, Garchomp was on the ground, unconscious and breathing heavily.

Cynthia sighed and recalled her Pokemon, chuckling. _It's been a while since I've been in a battle like that. They do deserve to win. We still have Ash, anyway… _Her thoughts were interrupted by Hydreigon, who landed on the field in a hurry. Its expression did not have the usual snarky expression, but rather one of concern.

"What's wrong?" Tory asked in concern, running to the Dragon-type. Many of them were confused; wasn't Hydreigon Max's Pokemon? Hydreigon gave several short grunts and snarls, expression never changing.

"I see… Alright, then. Thanks," he muttered, motioning for Max. He nodded and tossed Hydreigon's Pokeball to Tory, who recalled the Dragon. Tory did the same for a different Pokeball; the one that contained Salamence. Paul made a mental note to ask about that later.

"Whoa, hold on, Tory," Gary said. "What happened?"

"It's Scott. He's at our villa, and apparently it's an emergency."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Is everyone here?! Good, because I've got big news."

When they had heard that Scott was waiting at their villa, they rushed over to find the man waiting outside the doorway, pacing around. Ash had never seen him have any expression other than one of relaxation and content; to see him agitated was nearly beyond belief.

"Everyone, listen up. I don't have much time; I'm expected at a meeting in an hour. Does everyone have all of their Legendaries with them?"

Everyone nodded except for Rosa, who looked despondent at the thought of Keldeo. "No, Keldeo was stolen from me…"

"Oh, damn…" Scott muttered. "This is bad news, indeed."

"What happened? What's going on?" Cynthia asked urgently.

"I got a file two hours ago from Noland at the Battle Frontier. Being the Brain of Knowledge, he's able to hack into anything, including the computers of criminal organizations. Anyway, the message he sent described technology I've never heard of before; stuff from a region called Orre."

"Hold it!" Isaac interrupted. "That's where I'm from! Don't tell me they're making MORE Shadow Pokemon!"

Scott shrugged. "That's the thing; we don't know. The file isn't complete; Noland wasn't able to hack everything. All he got were some hazy pictures and some decoded messages. Basically, the stuff is supposed to be able to _take over a Pokemon's mind and make them fight with unusual power until their last breath._

The Orre Trainer was horrified. "Scott… t-that IS a description o-of Shadow Pokemon. Are you implying t-that they recovered the technology?"

Rosa nearly fainted; was that the fate that awaited her beloved Pokemon? "N-no… It can't be…"

"No, it's new stuff; or rather, old stuff. It was found in some ruins that date back several hundred years ago. In the containers, there were apparently some remains of a Pokemon called Genesect; you know about it?"

"Yeah," Tory said. "My dad talked about it a lot. Those things are supposed to be the ultimate fighters; some sort of technological cannon on it? Even back in their era? Anyway, we thought they were extinct."

"No, they're not. The remains were actually dormant, and when the capsules were broken, they were captured. All I'm saying is to keep your eyes open; these guys are not like the previous criminal organizations; they're smart and their members all have diverse, powerful Pokemon. You've fought the revived Team Magma; they're just one division, and nowhere near the strongest. The main members are most likely going to be… deadly, possibly even for all of you."

"So, let me get this straight," Paul said. "These guys are essentially forcing Pokemon to become fighting machines and powering them up with some sort of technology? And we are the targets?"

Scott nodded. "That sums it up. Stay on guard, everyone. I've got to go; I wouldn't, but if I don't show up, I'll be in serious trouble. Good luck in the tournament."

"Thanks," they responded.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Well, what now?" Dawn asked, when everyone had entered the villa. "Do we train more to prepare for them, or what?"

"We just keep our eyes open and pretend we don't know anything," Max replied. "That way, any spies won't have much to report and we can just-" His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his PokeNav. "What the…"

_**Due to the number of unexpected withdrawals from the tournament, we are continuing with the single battles, and they will start tomorrow at noon. The first two rounds will be three on three, and the rest full teams.**_

_** -Pokemon League **_

__"What the- why?" Paul murmured as he saw this. _It's got to be the criminals; did they kill THAT many people? No, even our police force woulda noticed… but why? We really better keep sharp; who knows what'll happen?_

Reading the list of match-ups, Max chuckled. "Gary, you might be in trouble."

"What?" Looking at the screen, the Trainer swore. "SHIT! HIM?! WHY HIM?!" Gary would be facing the trainer known as Red the next day.

"Oh, boy…" Ash muttered as he looked at the list. "Looks I'm up against Brock." His normally warm eyes turned cold at the sight of the name, and his hand curled with blue energy; his Aura. Cynthia quickly held his hand, and he calmed down.

"Don't worry," she muttered. "There's nothing he can do to you, and he won't be able to do anything to us; I promise." He nodded, and she hugged him from behind.

"Oh?" Tory chuckled as he looked down. "Max, Rosa's facing Misty tomorrow. I'm against Isaac again, and you're fighting Paul."

"Hey, Rosa. Looks like you've got a free pass to the next round," Max commented. His girlfriend giggled; she remembered what Misty had done, and couldn't wait for the next day. Then he remembered something.

"Err, Tory? Elesa? Date?"

The young Champion glanced at his watch and paled.

"Oh, no… Max, where's your suit?!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey, Elesa! What's up?"

"I'm doing well, you?"

Tory and Elesa had met up at the restaurant, ten minutes before seven. She was wearing a yellow coat and blue jeans; Tory had come fully dressed in Max's suit, which suited him perfectly. Almost. The coat was a little big, but otherwise it could have been his.

"Tory? This isn't a fancy restaurant, so you didn't need to wear that."

"Yeah…" he sighed. "I realized when I saw everyone else…" He was slightly embarrassed by the mishap, but happy at the same time; he was showing that he cared about his (hopefully) soon-to-be girlfriend. "Shall we go in?"

"Sure!" Elesa replied. The two walked into the restaurant, both eager for a chance to relax. When they entered, Tory looked at the waiter in front of them. He was around Tory's height, had brown eyes, and seemed to be wearing contacts.

"Max? What the hell?"

_**A/N: I am SO SORRY for not updating in ages. I've been super busy with summer school for credit, and the class is pretty difficult, considering we're stuffing a year of work in 6 weeks… -.-**_

_** Anyway, I would also like to apologize if this chapter is really rushed and stuff; I wanted to update, to assure you guys that I didn't quit.**_

_** Read, review (go easy on me this time), and I'll see you next time!**_

_**~Red Aura Guard, signing out.**_


	20. Need Ideas HELP

Hey, everyone!

Sorry about the lack of updates, but I am ACTUALLY out of ideas for this segment of the story. Please send some ideas as for what YOU think should happen in the next few chapters. Later chapters, I have ideas. The next few, NO. Why? Beats me.

HELP!

On a somewhat related note, summer class is almost over! More Updates! (Hopefully).

Oh, and take a look at my newest story, and review please! It encourages me to write more.

Thanks, everyone!

~RedAuraGuard


	21. Apology for Lack of Updates

_** Wow, how long has it been since my last update?**_

_** I am SO SORRY for not being able to update within the past few weeks (or is it a month?). My computer's being acting weirdly for a while, misplacing docs, etc. Also, the internet's been… sporadic as of late. To top it off, I've had tests to study for.**_

_** Again, my deepest apologies for the delays, and I hope to update more. :D**_

_**~RedAuraGuard**_


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